Friday Fact 10/18
If the referendum doesn’t pass, what might happen?
Central 301’s Board of Education has placed a referendum on the ballot for the November 5, 2024 election to meet the District’s projected future population growth. By building a new high school, moving all middle school students together at the current high school building, converting Prairie Knolls Middle School to a fifth elementary school, and creating an early childhood center at the current Central Middle School, we believe we can create the space we need to educate our students for years to come.
In the event the November 5 referendum does not pass, the District will need to address the anticipated enrollment growth in other ways. Possible actions under consideration include*:
- Shifting existing attendance boundaries
- Adding more mobile classrooms
- Shifting grade levels to different buildings
- Implementing a hybrid or split schedule
- Increasing class sizes across all levels
- Requiring “specials,” such as music, art and health to be taught from a cart or in an alternate location
- Limiting the expansion of skilled trades or vocational programs
Even if we implement these actions, they are not a permanent fix, and a future referendum may still be needed in order to manage anticipated growth in the long term. You can view the full presentation about our enrollment challenge, anticipated growth and possible options shared at the September 23, 2024 Board of Education meeting by clicking here.
*It’s important to note that, if the referendum passes, some of these actions may still be necessary in the short term, as construction of a new high school and the related building conversions will not be completed until 2028.
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