While the overall physical condition of both schools are structurally sound and the schools have been well maintained, there are significant needs that must be addressed outside of the normal budget. This is referenced under Pillar 3 of the Board of Education’s Vision 2025 Strategic Plan.

The safety and security needs include replacing the old fire alarm system, updating and modernizing the video surveillance system, and purchasing an integrated intercom and communication system for extreme emergencies and safety situations. Additionally, most of the HVAC system has been maintained far beyond its life expectancy and the goal is to replace the system in the most cost-effective manner, while greatly improving energy efficiency, indoor air quality, and maintaining an optimal educational environment. 

The facility plans do not include anything that is unnecessary, but are part of an effort to proactively address what is needed in the most cost-effective manner for our taxpayers, while resolving the issues the right way the first time both for today and for future generations.

At Concord, 9 of the 11 zones are heated and cooled by HVAC systems that were installed in either 1996 or 1997 and have already exceeded their life expectancy. The remaining two were installed in 2000 and 2004. At Cass, 15 of the 19 zones are heated and cooled by HVAC systems that were installed in 2002 or prior, with the vast majority at or nearing the end of their life expectancy.

ASHRAE is the industry organization that sets standards and guidelines for most equipment and here is the HVAC Equipment Life Expectancy Chart. Approximately 80 percent of the district’s HVAC infrastructure needs to be replaced. After much planning and research, it has been determined that the most cost-effective method to do so is to replace the system at once. Following are several pictures of the school district's current HVAC systems, and here are additional pictures for those interested :

The Board has been proactive in its planning, conservative with expenses and has maintained the existing systems. Unfortunately, it has become very costly and inefficient to repair and maintain systems that are beyond their life capacity. The plan is to competitively bid projects with economies of scale, rather than trying to replace a major component in the midst of winter. To do this cost-effectively, this needs to be done with a plan that considers initial costs, life-cycle costs and long-term energy savings.

In addition to the business-minded approach, there are also educational considerations to waiting. If a large rooftop unit ceases to function during the winter, an entire wing or area of a building could be without heat. With no way to pay for replacement and a supply chain that will not allow replacement for months, the district could be forced to consider alternatives from remote learning to alternative settings if conditions were to become unsafe at school.

Our district has worked hard to be conservative and while paying for a project of this nature out of the existing budget would be ideal, it is not possible without having a major impact on our educational program. Excluding current debt obligations, the total operations and maintenance budget is just over $1 million. If a larger unit would become inoperable, the estimated replacement cost would take up 35 to 50 percent of the district’s budget for this purpose.

There are many of these units and not only does it make no sense to do so in terms of the budgetary impact, it also makes no sense in terms of good business. Rather than try to replace units through a costly, piecemeal approach that will take away from the education our students are able to receive, the solutions provided by the district are both cost-effective and permanent.

The simple answer is that it is by far the most cost-effective, long-term solution. This unanimous determination was made by a 12-member Facilities Committee, made up of district parents, community members, Board members, teachers and staff who worked closely with the school district’s architect and engineer to develop solutions and recommendations. The committee identified educational environment, indoor air quality, energy efficiency, maintenance and long-term life-cycle costs as the key items to balance in its recommendations.

Different systems were comparably priced in initial costs, but the geothermal system scored the highest in each of the identified key areas, including having by far the lowest life cycle cost. The proposed renovation of the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems includes individual geo-exchange heating and cooling systems at both schools.

Here is more information on the proposed system and here are the proposed locations of the boring sites for each school. Full tonnage calculations and specifications will not be fully developed unless the project proceeds into the full engineering phase. The analysis performed to date is pre-design so that the district can avoid engineering costs until the project is approved by the voters of our community.

The energy savings are substantial with conservative initial estimates of 35 percent, resulting in an estimated annual savings from the operating budget of approximately $70,000 per year. Based on current energy costs, the long-term savings in a rising energy cost environment could be in the millions over the course of the coming decades.

In addition to long-term energy savings, life-cycle costs are probably more important. This takes into account the initial cost of the replacement system, expected maintenance costs, 20-year equipment replacement costs and residual value at the end of a 40-year cycle. Here is the life-cycle cost comparison of the three options studied.

The geothermal system is about 13 percent more expensive up front than the least expensive of the three options considered. However, the geothermal system was 39 percent less expensive in terms of total life-cycle costs, and 21 percent less expensive in total. Also, here is the replacement cost estimate summary, which shows additional detail about the options, costs, energy savings and comparisons.

Shall the Board of Education of Cass School District Number 63, DuPage County, Illinois, be authorized to alter, repair and equip existing school buildings, renovate and replace heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, install safety and security improvements, pay alternate bonds issued to finance renovations to school buildings as claims as provided for by Article 19 (Sections 19-8 to 19-14, inclusive) of the School Code and issue bonds of said School District to the amount of $12,800,000 for the purpose of paying the costs thereof?

A vote of yes is simply authorizing the Board to issue bonds up to (but not to exceed) $12,800,000 to address the needs as described above and to pay off an existing bond that is funded out of existing operating funds. The portion used to refund existing operating debt will be paid off 8 years earlier than the outstanding issue, saving an estimated $200,000 in interest.

The district maintains a strong "AA" bond rating from Standard and Poor's. The referendum does not allow bond proceeds to be used for any other purpose than what is described here. Once issued, the bond will be paid back over 20 years.

Absolutely not. What the voters approve can only be used for the purposes described above.

While there are no grants to cover all costs, the district is working on options through ComEd as well as state and federal sources to fund as much of the project as possible. So far, the district has secured approximately $500,000 in funding. Regarding "COVID dollars", our district is a very small recipient of federal emergency relief funds compared to most. What follows is an accounting for all related funding the district has received or will receive under this category.

ESSER I - The first round of ESSER I was $53,988. This was used to provide additional Chromebooks for any grade levels and students who did not have them, specifically at the lower grade levels.

ESSER II - Our ESSER II allotment was $211,400 and we are currently using the funding to address learning loss in math to provide a full-time math interventionist and additional math resources at Concord Elementary School.

ESSER III - We are in the process of finalizing the ESSER III grant application for our allocation of $495,150. This was always intended to be used toward some of our HVAC and indoor air quality needs and costs, although at least 20 percent must be set aside for addressing any identified student achievement gaps. As a result, the district plans to allocate $379,636 toward our HVAC needs, with the remaining $115,514 to be used for partially funding an elementary STEM teacher, a digital program to individually support math and reading, a social emotional program, reading training, and other teaching and learning needs.

Any part of this project that is of a significant cost will absolutely be vetted through the competitive bidding process. If the final project cost is less than anticipated, then the district will only borrow what it needs. There is no incentive to borrow more than what is necessary to fund the proposed projects.

The increase in the rate to pay for the new bond is estimated to be 25 cents. This is less than a 4 percent increase in the overall property tax rate. For an owner-occupied home valued at $300,000, this is a $235 increase, or less than 65 cents a day. A tax calculator is provided below. Simply enter last year's total property taxes paid to see the estimated impact for your home.

Following are financial facts and details unique to Cass School District 63.

Expenses - Cass School District 63 maintains the lowest operating expenditure per student of 10 area elementary districts and the second lowest of 29 districts in DuPage County. The district average of $13,383 per student is 15 percent lower than the area average. In fact, Cass 63's average operating expense is almost 10 percent below the state average, despite serving students in the state's second wealthiest county.

Revenues - Out of the 29 DuPage County school districts, Cass 63 ranks 18th in tax rates, 19th in local tax revenue generated per student, 21st in state funding per student and 28th in corporate personal property replacement tax per student. Approximately 80 percent of the school district's total annual revenue comes from local property taxes, which is limited to the growth of the consumer price index.

Tax Rates - Of the DuPage elementary districts, the average property tax rate is $3.14 per $100 of equalized assessed valuation. The current tax rate in Cass 63 is $2.71. If this bond question is approved by the voters, the tax rate would increase to approximately $2.96, which would still be about 5 percent below the average in DuPage County.

Consumer Price Index - The school district has a very tight budget that is mostly limited to the growth of the consumer price index (CPI). This is due to the fact that over 80 percent of the district's total revenue is local property taxes, which are directly tied to CPI. The school district has made this work for many years and is continuing to do so, but CPI does not allow for higher, one-time expenses related to things like facility improvements.

Argonne National Laboratory - Argonne is federally owned property that has a huge impact on our district. Of the school district’s 2,807 total acres, 1,026 or 37 percent is federally owned land as part of Argonne. This means over one-third of the district's real estate is not subject to property taxes. Federal impact aid partially reimburses school districts for the lost revenue associated with nontaxable federal property and ours is one of only eight school districts in Illinois that fall under this program. Despite the fact that such a large percentage of our property is federal land, the fiscal year 2020 federal impact aid payment was $423,933. In comparison, the other 1,781 acres (approximately 63 percent) would have generated an estimated $5,272,197 in local property taxes if it was taxable land. This means that on a per acre basis, federal impact aid replaces just 8 cents of every dollar lost to federal property, which puts our school district at a huge disadvantage. Here is more information regarding federal impact aid.

Sources - DuPage County Clerk and the Illinois State Board of Education

Exactly 32 years ago. Back in 1990, voters approved a referendum to increase the overall tax rate by 40 cents. Soon after that referendum, the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law (commonly known as PTELL) was implemented in DuPage County. PTELL prevents the district from collecting the full amount of revenues that were previously approved by the voters since it limits the annual increase in local tax revenues to no more than the consumer price index (CPI). 

Despite that challenge and the unusual amount of time since the last passage of a referendum, the district is not asking for a tax rate increase. The purpose of this referendum is the issuance of a new bond to address specific needs. It changes no other rates and raises no rate permanently. 

No. Consolidating school districts has absolutely nothing to do with the maintenance of physical buildings, HVAC systems or safety and security needs. In fact, it is far more likely that consolidation would increase rather than decrease costs to our local taxpayers. As explained previously, Cass School District 63 already has by far the lowest expenditure per student in the area. 

No, this is a completely separate issue. While the district next door also happens to be on the ballot for November 8, no resident pays taxes in both districts.

Any voter can verify if you are a registered voter and how to locate your polling place, as well as how to find an in-person voter registration location near you if you prefer to vote in person. For all other information, please visit the DuPage County Election page. Following are key dates for the November 8 General Election:

September 29, 2022 - First day for mailing or delivery of vote by mail ballot. First day for early voting at the office of the election authority and temporary locations designated by the election authority.

October 23, 2022 - Last day for voters to register to vote through the State Board of Elections website.

October 24, 2022 - First day for early voting at permanent polling places other than the office of the election authority.

November 3, 2022 - Last day for the election authority to receive an application (either by mail or electronically) for vote by mail ballot from any registered voter.

November 7, 2022 - Last day for early voting at the office of the election authority or at a location designated by the election authority.

November 8, 2022 - General Election (Polls open 6:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.)

Anyone with questions should feel free to contact any member of the Board of Education or Superintendent Mark Cross at mcross@cassd63.org or 331-481-4004. Mr. Cross will also meet with any individual or group who has questions or would like to learn more.