Norridge’s Pennoyer School District 79 asks for votes April 4 to avoid cuts to classes, staff, programs
Pennoyer School, the sole school in Norridge-Harwood Heights’ School District 79, will ask its voters to approve $9.7 million in bonds in the April 4 election so the school can update its fire alarm system and outdated plumbing, among other infrastructure upgrades.
This will be the seventh time the school has asked its residents to boost its funding. Its most recent attempt, which would have had the average taxpayer in the district paying an additional $260 in property taxes, failed by fewer than 100 votes in the November gubernatorial election.
On the heels of that rejection, the school board approved a series of deep cuts to the school’s budget. These included ending the school’s extracurricular sports program, moving to eliminate several teaching positions and consolidating grade level cohorts in an effort to begin saving money for the renovations and avoid getting into deeper financial waters.
In tandem with those cuts, the board approved several fee increases for student registration and technology and approved a shortening of the school day to end at 2:30 p.m.
Board members also approved a second ballot question to increase the limiting rate by 0.17% to raise more cash for the school’s education fund.
On the school’s website, an informational page about the two ballot questions states that if voters approve the questions, the school will be able to reverse the changes.
The school serves about 450 students in kindergarten through 8th grade from the Norridge-Harwood Heights area and some parts of unincorporated Cook County. Much of its building, constructed in 1954, has not been updated since it was built.
At the top of the school’s must-dos are upgrades to its bathrooms, lead-contaminated water fountains and fire safety system, school administrators have said.
One inquiry on the school’s “frequently asked questions” page reads: “Can you please show us [the] calculation for $9.2 million for renovation of our school? How [did] we come [up] with this number and why in 3 month[s] we increase from $7.9 million to $9.2 million?”
The school’s answer cites rising costs of construction on a plan whose estimates were determined in February 2021.
“The Board has figured 9% in inflation as the majority of the construction work would not happen until summer of 2024 as it is too late to go to bid for this summer,” the page reads.
The answer also states that the board has put flooring upgrades and casework projects back into the list of projects to be completed with these funds and states that the school will need to get an architect to draw up plans.
