Kane County Reporter

On January 10, 2023, the Board of Education (BOE) met to deliberate placing a referendum question on the April 4, 2023, ballot. With over 14,000 votes cast on November 8, 2022, the District’s referendum failed by a slim margin of 24 votes. Following the November decision, the BOE collected input from the staff and community through a survey, focus groups, and feedback forms. Over 1,700 surveys and 170 additional feedback forms were completed. A summary of the survey results and written and interview feedback can be found in the news section of the referendum page on the District website: www.bps101.net/referendum.

Using feedback, staff input, and research conducted through the Building Our Future Together process, the Board voted to place the referendum question back on the April 4, 2023 ballot. In this referendum question, the Board is seeking to issue debt to fund the replacement of H.C. Storm School and Louise White School, along with maintenance and improvement projects at the other six school buildings. Additional details can be found in the FAQ section of the referendum page on the District website. The community is encouraged to bookmark this page, as it will be updated with all relevant information.
 
Dr. Lisa Hichens, BPS101 Superintendent, said, “The Board considered many options and perspectives. Through hundreds of conversations with individuals and focus groups, it was determined that the majority wanted the question to be placed back on the ballot. Fifty-six percent of respondents to a community-wide survey agreed.  If this referendum passes, the amount of our annual debt payment, and the taxes collected for it, will remain level. If the referendum fails, taxes will go down.”
 
Addressing another topic prevalent in the survey and feedback responses, that many voters were either unaware, uninformed, misinformed, or confused about November’s referendum, the Board and staff are working on a new outreach plan for this election cycle. “The Board and staff are committed to sharing clear information about the real and present needs within our school buildings. We hope to keep our community engaged in the months leading up to the April election with improved outreach efforts,” states Hichens.
 
For more information on the Batavia Public School District, visit www.bps101.net, or call (630) 937-8800. 

Original source can be found here