D303 WANTS YOUR MONEY...AGAIN, PART 1

D303 Deferred the Maintenance FOR DECADES.

Why Should Taxpayers Pay Again?

TRUST IS AND ALWAYS HAS BEEN THE ISSUE WITH D303...Why should taxpayers do it again?

District 303 acknowledges a massive backlog of deferred maintenance. Now it wants voters to approve $282.5 million in new debt. Before taxpayers write another check, they deserve to know how the district allowed the problem to become this large.

On November 3, St. Charles District 303 voters will be asked to authorize $282.5 million in new bonds, creating a debt obligation stretching over 25 years.

The district says the money is needed for school construction, repairs, renovations and additions.

But one number should dominate this debate:

$187 million.

That is approximately how much D303 now says it has accumulated in deferred maintenance.

The obvious question is not whether aging schools require repairs.

Of course they do.

The question is: How did D303 allow nearly $187 million of predictable maintenance to accumulate—and why should taxpayers now be asked to pay for the consequences?

The District Admits Maintenance Was Deferred

This is not an accusation created by referendum opponents.

D303’s own facilities materials acknowledge that significant maintenance has been “continually deferred.”

Historically, the district says it spent approximately $2 million to $3 million annually on facility improvements, although spending increased during the last several years.

That clearly was not enough.

Roofs age predictably.

Boilers have expected useful lives.

HVAC systems, plumbing, electrical systems and pavement do not suddenly become obsolete overnight.

School districts know these costs are coming.

That is precisely why long-term capital planning exists.

A responsible capital plan identifies major replacements years in advance, prioritizes them and reserves money before they become emergencies.

Yet D303 now says its deferred-maintenance backlog has reached approximately $187 million.

Taxpayers deserve more than another bond proposal.

D303 Has Been Studying These Buildings for Years

The maintenance problem was not hidden.

D303 approved an enrollment and facility-capacity study with RSP & Associates in August 2022.

Throughout 2023, the Board discussed building utilization, facility needs, attendance boundaries and long-term capital improvements.

Then, in May 2023, D303 told residents:

“The District is not anticipating needing a referendum vote at this time.”

Three years later, taxpayers are being asked to approve $282.5 million in borrowing.

So what changed?

Did the district misunderstand the condition of its buildings?

Did it underestimate future maintenance?

Did it fail to reserve enough money?

Were other priorities funded instead?

Or were difficult maintenance decisions simply delayed until the bill became too large to handle through the normal budget?

Those are fair questions.

And they should be answered before taxpayers are handed the bill.

Necessary Repairs Are Not the Issue.....trust is the real issue.

There are legitimate needs inside this proposal.

Earlier estimates included approximately:

• $32.2 million for roof replacements
• $54.5 million for mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems
• $42.8 million for accessibility work at Davis and Wild Rose Elementary Schools

Those projects deserve serious consideration.

Schools should have working roofs, reliable HVAC systems, safe mechanical systems and proper accessibility.

But supporting necessary repairs does not require taxpayers to excuse years of inadequate capital planning.

The district says delaying maintenance makes repairs more expensive.

That is true.

And that is exactly the problem.

If delaying maintenance costs taxpayers more money, why was so much maintenance allowed to be delayed?

D303 cannot reasonably use deferred maintenance as both the justification for a massive referendum and an excuse for how the district arrived here.

Taxpayers Have Already Been Paying

St. Charles property owners have been funding District 303 every year.

This is not a new school district seeking its first major investment.

These buildings have been owned, operated and maintained by D303 for decades.

Taxpayers reasonably believed a portion of the money they were already paying was being used to plan for predictable capital needs.

Now they are being told that nearly $187 million in maintenance accumulated anyway.

And the solution being presented is another enormous taxpayer obligation.

That cannot be the end of the discussion.

Before asking residents for another $282.5 million, D303 should explain what went wrong with the money taxpayers have already provided—and what will change so this does not happen again.

Otherwise, taxpayers are not simply paying for school repairs.

They are being asked to pay again for problems that should have been addressed the first time. Why would taxpayers put more of their hard-earned money after bad money? D303 has no trust in reserve.

Part Two: Why a $62 Million Fieldhouse Does Not Belong in a Referendum Supposedly Driven by Deferred Maintenance.   Why can't D303 read the room?  Taxpayers don't trust D303 and now they want more of their money....all under the control of D303