Indian Prairie School District #204

District Background

Indian Prairie 204 (IPSD 204 or the district) was formed in 1972 by combining three former elementary districts. The district encompasses an area of 46.6 square miles, serving portions of the communities of Naperville, Aurora, Bolingbrook and Plainfield. Initially a rural district, IPSD 204 grew significantly throughout the 1980’s, 1990’s and early 2000’s, eventually becoming one of the largest districts in the State of Illinois. IPSD 204 educates over 26,000 students, and operates 34 schools that have a total replacement cost of over $3 billion.

As the district prepared to celebrate its 50^th anniversary, the Board of Education and Superintendent recognized the need to engage in several strategic initiatives and plan for the district’s next 50 years.  These initiatives included a comprehensive enrollment and boundary analysis (2021), a strategic plan (2022), equity plan (2022), and master facility plan (2023).  In January, 2024, administration began evaluating a potential referendum to fund the most significant needs identified in the master facility plan.

Master Facility Plan

The District recognized the need to make significant capital upgrades in facilities and committed $50 million dollars to fund the “$50 for 50” capital initiative starting in 2022.  This initial investment addressed the most critical needs at buildings and included roof replacements, parking lot improvements, HVAC upgrades, modernizing playgrounds, and new flooring at facilities across the district.  Throughout 2023, District worked with Wight & Company, a leading architectural design firm, to evaluate all district facilities and develop a master facility plan.  The process was comprehensive and included detailed review of all facilities and significant community and stakeholder engagement. 

Through the district’s Master Facility Plan, five key priority areas were identified:

1. Safety and Security Enhancements – Ensuring secure school environments for students and staff.
2. Infrastructure Improvements – Addressing critical repairs and modernization needs.
3. Learning Environment Upgrades – Enhancing classrooms and common spaces to support evolving instructional needs.
4. Equity Across Schools – Ensuring facilities provide equitable experiences for all students, regardless of location.
5. Operational Efficiencies – Improving energy efficiency and reducing long-term maintenance costs

These five areas were the highest priorities brought to the community to evaluate a potential referendum.

Evaluation of Referendum Options

IPSD 204 was in a unique position, with previous bonds being paid off, to offer a “no tax rate increase” referendum option to voters. In addition to funding the master facility plan, administration also evaluated community support for additional operating funding to reduce class sizes and increase mental health services, which may have required a tax increase. 

To assess potential community support, IPSD 204 formed a Citizens Task Force in January 2024. The group included members with varying viewpoints and backgrounds from across the district. The task force reviewed the master facility plan, other strategic documents, district budgets and forecasts, and evaluated various referendum proposals. 

IPSD 204 also completed extensive community outreach that included:

• Two direct mail pieces, including a mail survey
• A social media campaign
• Digital advertising
• A dedicated website landing page
• A series of informational videos
• Over 40 informational meetings with various PTAs, school groups and community organizations

District administration evaluated feedback from the task force and community before making a recommendation to the Board of Education. On June 10, 2024, IPSD 204’s Chief School Business Official presented the research findings to the IPSD 204 Board of Education. Board members had the opportunity to ask questions and thoroughly review the information before making a decision.

Recommendation

On August 5, 2024, the IPSD 204 Board of Education officially adopted the referendum resolution, placing a $420 million bond referendum on the November 5, 2024 ballot. The referendum resolution was a “no tax rate increase” option and could only be used for facility needs. The resolution was approved as follows:

“Shall the Board of Education of Indian Prairie Community Unit School District Number 204, DuPage and Will Counties, Illinois, alter, repair and equip existing school buildings, including constructing security improvements, including installing secure entryways, access controls and intrusion detection, replacing roofing, mechanical, plumbing, and HVAC systems, updating classrooms, science labs and libraries/media centers, enhancing energy efficiency, and issue bonds of said School District to the amount of $420,000,000 for the purpose of paying the costs thereof?”

This approval marked a critical milestone in the district’s efforts to secure necessary funding for facility improvements while maintaining a “no tax rate increase” commitment to voters.

Superintendent's Message - November 6, 2024