From bathrooms in need of repair to a lack of elevators and even skunks living under a mobile classroom, officials with East Maine School District 63 said their schools are feeling the strain of age and overcrowding.
Looking to fund major safety and security upgrades, the district placed a bond referendum on the November ballot.
Superintendent Dr. Shawn Schleizer showed NBC 5 Chicago around two schools, Apollo Elementary School in Des Plaines and Washington Elementary School in Glenview. Districtwide, he said lighting, electrical, plumbing and HVAC systems need upgrades. He also said most of the schools in the district are overcrowded, and many classrooms lack natural light and proper acoustics.
Apollo Elementary was built as a junior high in 1970. Every room now presents unique challenges, starting with a girls bathroom.
“There are no tiles on the floor. Tiles started popping up and we discovered that there was asbestos, so we had to remove and abate all the asbestos. Rather than putting a new floor in, at this point, we’re waiting,” Schleizer said.
Another room where reading specialists now work was designed as a junior high locker room. Schleizer also has concerns about accessibility and making the schools compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. At Apollo Elementary, there’s no elevator and the lifts are unreliable.
“When I was a principal here, there were times where I personally had to carry children up and down stairs with other staff members,” Schleizer said. “It just falls short of the dignified environment we expect for our kids and staff.”
To address the worst needs, the district put a $120 million bond referendum on the November ballot. If it passes, the owner of a $350,000 home would pay about $314 dollars a year more in property taxes. The referendum was reduced from $163 million to $120 million after feedback from households in the district. Schleizer said the district’s last bond referendum was in the 60s.
District enrollment is projected to increase by more than 5 percent, or about 200 students, by 2033, according to the district’s 2023 estimates.
Five other K-12 school districts in the Chicago area have referenda on the November ballot, including Algonquin-based Community School District 300, Arlington Heights-based Township High School District 214, Evergreen Park Elementary School District 124, Oswego School District 308 and Yorkville School District 115.
At Washington Elementary, school officials said every toilet has to be flushed twice. A tunnel connects the school to the mobile classroom, which houses music programs and enrichment classes. Teachers have to escort the children through the tunnel for safety reasons.
“Washington has experienced overcrowding in recent years. So there’s a lack of space, there’s lack of storage. We added mobile classrooms a few years ago to respond to increases in enrollment,” Schleizer said. “We’ve had fantastic growth in our instrumental music program in the last few years. We’ve more than doubled participation, and it’s a good problem to have, but we’ve got instrumental music happening in hallways, stairwells, outside front offices. “
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