A voter referendum seeking nearly $300 million is under consideration in St. Charles School District 303 to add classrooms, update learning spaces, improve accessibility and make overall infrastructure repairs and upgrades.

It’s been 24 years since the community approved a referendum, and ballot initiatives were turned down in 2009, 2006 and 2005.

District officials have identified $295.6 million in building needs and say the lack of past investment is hampering the ability for current facilities to address capacity issues and support modern learning experiences ranging from accessibility needs to supporting technical education pathways.

Modernizing the aging facilities is of chief concern. The proposed facility plan contains 16 individual projects spread out across the district.

If taken to the voters and approved, the bond sale would result in an estimated $777 annual property tax bill increase, or $65 per month, for the owner of a home valued at $500,000, according to the district.

“This is a significant investment, but one that is necessary to address aging infrastructure, upgrade learning environments, and maintain the quality and value of D303 schools as a priority for our community,” a district facilities committee said in a report to the school board. “Delaying these investments will likely increase future costs and limit the district’s ability to meet student and community needs and expectations.”

The committee is comprised of staff members, parents, students and community members. The final decision to place a referendum on the upcoming election ballot is made by the school board.

The committee said even though student enrollment has remained steady, the aged and outdated facilities no longer meet the needs of the community.

“The question is no longer whether improvements are needed, it is how we move forward responsibly, transparently and sustainably,” the committee said.

Contained within the 16 projects are $21.8 million for a new accessible learning space at Wild Rose Elementary and $21 million for accessibility improvements at Davis Elementary. Another $17 million is slated for middle school capacity additions and $6.2 million for a cafeteria expansion at North High School.

Another $21 million is earmarked for elementary classroom additions. Across the district, $32.2 million is eyed for roof replacements and $54.5 million for mechanical, electrical and plumbing updates.

To improve career and technical education opportunities, $17.5 million would be used to expand facilities and specialized programming.

Highlighting the need for refurbished and updated outdoor spaces, $13 million is budgeted for athletic field and playground repairs. The proposal also contains $52 million for an athletic field house at North High School.

Superintendent Paul Gordon said he is “deeply grateful” for the long hours of work the committee members put into designing the report.

He said in a memo he’s looking forward to continuing to work with the committee, the school board and the community “to determine the best path forward in ensuring D303’s schools meet the expectations of our community.”

The committee said in addition to upgrading the aging facilities, the plan will reshape learning spaces to meet the needs of both current and future instructional practices. This includes ensuring capacity is more balanced, enabling specialized courses to take place in appropriate educational settings.

The committee came to its conclusions after five months of meetings, school tours and engagement with the broader community.

While exploring the need for expanded and upgraded learning settings, the committee determined the district has “substantial deferred maintenance,” totaling around $187 million. The needed work ranges from roof repairs to mechanical and electrical systems upgrades.

The report says many of the district’s systems and building components have “reached or exceeded their useful life.”

According to the report, the district’s middle schools are at capacity, the elementary schools need to be redesigned to allow specialized programming and the high schools must be reimagined for expanding career pathways education, physical education, wellness and student-support spaces.

“The loss of classroom space over time has created capacity pressures across the district,” the committee said. “These challenges affect student experience, scheduling, access to programming, and the district’s ability to fully prepare students for future pathways.”

According to Gordon, the board will discuss the committee’s report over the next couple months and decide what action to take.