The fate of a $12.8 million bond issue for a new Hinsdale middle school will be in the hands of the voters Tuesday after months of hearings and debate over a proposal to put the school in a Clarendon Hills park.
Voters also will decide the outcome of a proposed $29.8 million bond issue in West Chicago High School District 94 and a proposed $8.9 million bond issue in Darien’s Center Cass Elementary School District 66.
School board elections were to be held in all 43 DuPage school districts. Though most had their usually quiet races, with low voter turnouts expected, heavy campaigning permeated Hinsdale High School District 86. There, a slate of four candidates tried to seize control of the seven-member board to push a cost-control agenda.
In Wheaton Warrenville Unit School District 200 and Hinsdale Elementary School District 181, infighting raged in races where some candidates were challenged with charges of petition irregularities.
The three school districts with bond proposals offered scaled-down versions of plans rejected by citizens twice before.
Hinsdale Elementary School District 181 last year battled unsuccessfully against residents opposed to a new $20 million middle school near their houses. In twice defeating the bond issue in 1996, the opponents were joined by others who did not want a large school for 1,200 children and a big property-tax increase to fund the project.
Also on the ballot was a $500,000 bond issue to build a new gymnasium at Madison Elementary School in Hinsdale.
And a revised plan for a $12.8 million bond issue for a smaller middle school for 600 pupils in Clarendon Hills’ Prospect Park prompted heavy opposition from homeowners living near the park. District 181 includes Hinsdale and Clarendon Hills.
District 181 owns land in Prospect Park and wants to swap its site on the south end along Norfolk Avenue for a parcel on the north end along Chicago Avenue owned by the Clarendon Hills Park District. Nearby homeowners have asked the park district not to agree to the deal, but no action has been taken.
Searching for other ways to derail the school construction, the homeowners found a 1986 agreement between the village of Clarendon Hills and school authorities barring any construction in the park that would affect storm-water drainage.
District 181 countered with an opinion from its attorney that the school could be erected if storm-water retention were not altered. It backed that up with a letter from a Lemont civil engineer saying flood-water storage problems could be solved by expanding the park’s pond system.
West Chicago High School District 94 wanted $29.8 million in bonds for an addition to ease overcrowding and upgrade aging facilities.
It wanted to spend $9.5 million for an addition to increase capacity to 2,250 students. Another $9.8 million would be used to replace outdated electrical, heating and plumbing systems in a 75-year-old wing of the school. Others funds would go for moving athletic facilities to a new site, technology wiring, fees and contingencies.
Center Cass Elementary School District 66 was making a third bid for approval of bonds for a new 3rd- through 5th-grade school and to upgrade Lake View Junior High School.
In Hinsdale High School District 86, four candidates–Jeffrey Brooks, Ezzat Doss, Leo Morrissey and Richard Skoda–ran as a slate backed by Residents for Excellent Economical Education, an ad hoc group pressing for budget containment. Other candidates were incumbents Barbara Reynolds and Dorothy Troost, and Janet Plate, Raj Desai, Linda Jones and Anthony Kramer. Four four-year terms were at stake.
In Wheaton-Warrenville Unit School District 200, candidates for four four-year terms were incumbent Robert Davis, Andrew Johnson, Donald Shaner, James Flickinger and Dawn Earl. Incumbent Kenneth Knicker, kicked off the ballot for petition flaws, was seeking re-election as a write-in candidate.
Alan Bolds was the only candidate on the ballot for one two-year term. But Elaine Sikorski was challenging him as a write-in hopeful.
County election officials said no write-in candidate ever has been elected to a DuPage school board.
In Hinsdale Elementary School District 181, the six candidates for three four-year posts were incumbent Ann Mueller, Kevin Connor, Steven Lipstein, Deborah Tyrrell, Marie Bill and Susan Becker.
Becker and Bill charged petitions of the other four candidates did not meet legal requirements. A three-member panel ruled against their challenges. Becker and Bill asked the Cook County Circuit Court to reverse the decision. A hearing was not held before Tuesday’s election, and their request to the Illinois Appellate Court to expedite the matter was rejected.
In Naperville Unit School District 203–the largest in DuPage–eight candidates sought four four-year terms. Mary Roberts and Timothy Costello were incumbents wanting to return to the board. Also on the ballot were Debbie Shipley, David Vaught, Laura Gavin, Mickey Koziol, Craig Richardson and John Tableriou.
Indian Prairie Unit School District 204 also had a crowded field with nine candidates for four four-year terms. They included incumbents Owen Wavrinek, Peter Neumeister and Jeannette Clark. Also on the ballot were Kenneth Brissa, Melani Clore, Walter Macuda, Charles Pagels, Anne Marie Vrchota and Matthew Wicks.
For live election results for Indian Prairie School District 204 and Naperville School District 203, see the Tribune’s Internet site at http://chicago.digitalcity.com/naperville.
ELECTION DAY
TUESDAY, NOV. 4
– Voting for: Local school board representatives and referendum proposals.
– Polls: Open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. To learn the location of your polling place or for complaints about voting procedures, call 630-682-7440 in DuPage County or 630-232-5990 in Kane County.
– What is open: Most government offices will be open.
– TV coverage: Begins at 7:30 p.m. on cable on CLTV.
