GolfSchool District 67

At the August 15, 2024, regular meeting, Golf School District 67 Board of Education approved placing a referendum on the November 2024 ballot to address critical facility needs. This proposal, at $26.3M, is less than half the cost of the 2022 referendum and prioritizes the health and safety of our staff, students and visitors.

What Are Those Facility Needs? 

Facility challenges at Hynes Elementary School and Golf Middle School include:

• Roofs are old and leaking, mold was found in the roofing insulation
• The HVAC system does not function properly, with inconsistent heating and cooling
• Life safety requirements not met
• Fire suppression system
• Security systems at entrances/throughout schools
• Unsafe traffic flow
• No health office
• Asbestos tiles in both schools require abatement
• Replacing mobile classroom space (trailers)
• Inadequate security system
• Not meeting commitments to provide space for our special education cooperative to serve D67 students and students from our Niles Township school district partners
• Entrances, bathrooms, health office and other spaces are not ADA-compliant

Why Now?

With a tax rate among the lowest of peer and neighboring districts, District 67 cannot afford to fund the necessary facility work without a referendum. After an unsuccessful $56M capital referendum in 2022 to build a new PK-8 building, the District established a post-referendum committee to understand why the community did not support the referendum and determine how to meet the facility needs. The information gained was that the community wanted to maintain two neighborhood schools, and the tax impact was too large.

The District listened—the 2024 request cuts the previous referendum amount by more than half and maintains both school buildings.

The proposal is for $32,701,280 in capital improvements, with $26.3M coming from referendum bonds. The remainder of the funds will come from District 67 reserves, non-referendum bonds and, possibly, state grant funding.

Stay Informed

Staying informed about the Foundation4Future initiative is key to understanding the important decisions ahead for the Golf 67 community. We encourage everyone to explore the information provided on our website, attend informational sessions, and stay connected through our communication channels. By doing so, you'll be well-equipped to make informed decisions that will shape the future of our schools and community.

Informational Sessions

We will also host several information sessions to provide an in-depth review of facilities and finances, explain how we arrived at this decision and explain how we will move forward if voters approve the referendum.