Frequently Asked Questions

Indian Prairie School District (IPSD) 204 seeks to address its highest-priority capital facility needs, providing every student a healthy, safe, and productive learning environment.

Yes. The District will be able to issue $420 million of bonds without a tax rate increase. This is possible because the District will be paying off outstanding debt. 

The size of the tax rate that is expiring soon is the same size as the tax rate associated with the new bond referendum. One cancels out the other, which is how the improvements can be done without a tax rate increase.

Bond proceeds would focus on:

• Improving safety and security
• Addressing aging infrastructure needs
• Enhancing building efficiency
• Providing quality learning environments across the District

Given construction inflation, it is estimated that the total cost of the proposed improvements would increase by at least $16.8 million annually.

There are many anticipated benefits, including:

• Improving safety and security at all schools
• Maintaining academic excellence and accountability
• Enhancing building efficiency, saving taxpayer dollars
• Ensuring every student has access to a quality learning environment
• Reducing costly and disruptive emergency repairs
• Extending the useful life of existing facilities
• Protecting property values
• Making districtwide improvements without a tax rate increase 

The bond referendum would fund secure entry vestibules at every IPSD school. Access controls, intrusion detection, and surveillance equipment are also part of the proposed improvements.

Yes. The plan is to address the districtwide safety and security upgrades first.

Bond proceeds would go toward improving air quality, building systems, roofing, health/life safety, and energy efficiency.

There are a few schools, including Waubonsie Valley High School, Hill Middle School, and Gregory Middle School, that are in worse condition than the other schools. Extensive renovation work would be done at these schools.

All of IPSD’s more than 25,000 students would benefit, with improvements made to each of the District’s 33 school buildings.

The last time voters approved funding for school improvements was 18 years ago.

Years of planning have gone into developing IPSD 204’s funding proposal, including a Boundary and Enrollment Analysis (2021), Strategic Plan (2022), Equity Plan (2023), and Facility Master Plan (2023). The District has continued to focus on its Portrait of a Graduate when making key planning decisions.

Two scientific polls were conducted this spring and summer. Both indicated that most taxpayers prefer a bond measure over a limiting rate increase. 

Yes. The tax rate would sunset. According to public input gathered as part of the District’s public opinion research, community outreach meetings, and citizen task force meetings, this is one of the reasons a bond referendum is preferred over a limiting rate increase.

A portion of the bond proceeds would be used to repurpose the Birkett Freshman Center and decommission the Wheatland and Indian Plains buildings. These projects, coupled with energy efficiency upgrades and related projects, would provide additional funds that could be allocated to help reduce classes sizes and address demand for mental health services.

The District currently spends approximately $6 million annually on utilities such as electricity, water and natural gas. Upgrading to more efficient systems, including LED lighting, would save up to $2 million annually.

The District currently spends approximately $2 million annually on repairs and maintenance for building systems that are past their useful lives, no longer covered by warranty, and often are no longer supported by original manufacturers. Replacing these building systems could reduce these costs by up to $1 million annually.

The District currently has programming at two facilities past their useful lives, the Wheatland and Indian Plains buildings, and at a leased facility. After investment in other facilities, the district would sell the two buildings and not renew the lease. This would save $2 million annually in operating costs. Potential proceeds from the sale of the two facilities could also be used for additional capital needs.

IPSD 204 is comprised of 35 buildings, including 21 elementary schools, 7 middle schools, 3 high schools, a freshman center for Neuqua Valley High School, an alternative high school, a preschool/administrative center, and a building that is beyond its useful life.

The District’s 35 school buildings range in age from 15 to 57 years old, with half of them built around 35 years ago.

Yes. IPSD 204 properly maintains and repairs its buildings. However, there are major capital improvements associated with aging and outdated infrastructure that need to be addressed to extend the life of the schools and protect these important community assets.

The bond referendum would address the following capital improvements:  

• Districtwide security upgrades, including the addition of secure entry vestibules, access controls, intrusion detection systems, and surveillance equipment. 

• Districtwide infrastructure improvements tied to air quality, building systems, roofing, health/life safety, site upgrades, and energy efficiency. 

• Renovation of schools to provide quality learning spaces districtwide, including the comprehensive renovation of Waubonsie Valley High School, Hill Middle School, and Gregory Middle School; reconfiguring Neuqua Valley High School to reintegrate freshmen; and expanding elementary school instructional space on the north side of the District. 

• Operational efficiency improvements, including repurposing the Birkett Freshman Center and decommissioning the underutilized Wheatland and Indian Plains buildings.

IPSD 204 would provide project updates at board meetings, community information meetings, and on its website at www.ipsd.org.

Absent this funding, critical infrastructure improvements would need to be made using operating funds. This would mean a potential reduction in educational programming and a potential reduction in staffing to ensure funds are available to make the needed improvements.

The bond amount is the estimated cost of the highest priority items in the District Master Facilities Plan. These items include safety and security upgrades, critical infrastructure needs, upgrades to Neuqua Valley High School to reintegrate freshmen, and comprehensive improvements at Waubonsie Valley High School, Hill Middle School, and Gregory Middle School. 

The District intends to repay the bonds by using a 37-cent per $100 of Equalized Assessed Value (EAV) levy. This is the same size tax rate—and tax impact—that is set to expire when IPSD 204 pays off its outstanding long-term debt in 2026. The new proposed bond rate would effectively replace the expiring one.

If approved by voters, the referendum would provide approximately $25.5 million annually in funding, all of which will go to repay the new bonds.

The estimated annual tax impact is $517 for a home with a fair market value of $500,000 for the existing tax levy that will expire.

The current tax ends after the current bonds are paid off in full on December 30, 2026. The new referendum bonds will be structured so there is no overlap between the two taxes. The District, working closely with municipal finance professionals, has developed the financing proposal to ensure a consistent 37-cent per $100 tax rate.