On Nov. 5, citizens of DeKalb and surrounding communities will vote on a 10-year, $39.8 million referendum plan that will ease local schools of overcrowding.

The $55 million referendum voted on last March was rejected, however, the defeat of the previous referendum was a result of the financial aspects of the plan, according to Superintendent Brian Ali.

“One of the things we did was survey over 500 DeKalb voters,” Ali said. “We found out that there was a need for a plan but not for more than $40 million. The bullet point from that survey was to develop a plan more affordable.”

Estimates have shown that a need for additional funding to the school district is evident in a recent projection showing District 428 to have nearly 700 additional students within a five-year period. Overcrowding remains a strong point of emphasis with the school board because of an increased enrollment at DeKalb High School. In addition, various schools in the district use mobile structures as classrooms and in some cases, even libraries and closets.

Mayor Greg Sparrow said the referendum has been a pressing need for many years and is happy to see it on the Nov. 5 ballot.

“The referendum is needed as we presently exist with the school system,” Sparrow said. “We should have been planning something like this as many as 15 years ago.”

“This approach makes a lot of sense,” Sparrow continued. “The bottom line is that the school has a need to expand.”

Terrie Adams, DeKalb resident and mother of a student attending Lincoln Elementary school said she sees the need for the referendum within her daughter’s school.

“I see how it’s overcrowded because some classes at my daughter’s school are being held in a cramped library,” Adams said. “My daughter takes violin lessons inside a janitor’s closet. I’m not happy with that.”

Ali said he would ensure residents that alleviating the overcrowding issues is the top priority.

“Immediate concerns are to provide additional classrooms at all levels of schools,” Ali said.

The proposed referendum plan

According to numbers released by the school board, an average-priced home in District 428, which is about $150,000, would see about a $130 increase in taxes if the referendum is approved. The money would be distributed specifically to the various school levels: elementary, middle and high schools.

Over the summer, a 36-member ad hoc committee formulated the referendum plan now being presented to all the residents within District 428. After unanimously approving the referendum on the Nov. 5 ballot, the ad hoc committee’s plan was distributed to the public.

The elementary schools would first and foremost have the fifth grade level back within its student body. In regards to space and additional renovations, most elementary schools within the district would see rooms specifically designed for extra-curricular activities, the arts and physical education.

Adams said the middle school’s plan to move fifth graders to the elementary schools is vitally important to children who are in fifth grade.

“It’s too young to be in a middle school environment,” Adams said.

DeKalb High School would be receiving the bulk of the money because of a skyrocketing student base approaching 2,000 students. Included would be classroom upgrades, an expanded cafeteria and commons area, new physical education amenities and construction of the second floor in order to pave way for newer classrooms in the future.

The Savannah Green issue

Another plan being discussed within the city and the school board is the Savannah Green project. In terms of the referendum, residents and members of the school board said they fear that if Savannah Green is approved, the positive impact of the referendum would be overshadowed by increased taxes and population.

The Savannah Green project would call for an 877 individual-home development, primarily north of the newly built Convocation Center. If implemented, it likely would require an additional elementary school near the development site. The problem with a new elementary school would be the burden of even steeper taxes for each household, notwithstanding the additional taxes enforced should the referendum pass.

“To approve Savannah Green would create an undue burden,” Ali said. “Implementation for a new school right now would be bad timing for the school board and residents of DeKalb.”

Ali summed up the board’s stance, but simultaneously explained the role the board needs to take in terms of residential growth.

“The Board of Education’s position is to oppose the development,” Ali said. “We are further taking a position for moderating growth.

“A number of ad hoc members are developers,” Ali elaborated. “So they understand the developmental process and how it would effect the residents and schools.”

DeKalb resident Jim Schneider has voiced his opinions regarding the referendum and Savannah Green project in many letters seen throughout local publications. His belief is that the project disregards any input from the school board, and that the city is allowing yet another issue to be handled on their own terms and no one else’s.

“It’s the hot potato everyone wants to get rid of,” Schneider said. “The problem here is that the Savannah Green issue underestimates the impact of more schools, and worse, the school board isn’t in control of this at all.”

Schneider added that the underlying problem is that DeKalb citizens and the school board aren’t able to have a prominent voice in issues other than those related to schools.

“As a voter, I’m concerned we have no control over anything else but the schools,” Schneider said. “We have no say in issues regarding sewer extensions or subdivision additions.”

Sparrow said while citizens may experience angst with the financial and population implications the Savannah Green project would bring, the need for the city of DeKalb to continue its growth is an obvious necessity.

“What we need to do is recognize that growth will occur,” Sparrow said. “What we should do is sit down and determine how fast of a growth rate we need to plan for.”

Sparrow said that the extra taxes the Savannah project would impose on residents would have an impact on schools within the district.

“With more people comes more commercial, industrial and retail profits,” Sparrow said. “We want to send some kind of message to the public that we want an increased population. We don’t want to send the message we don’t want to grow.”

Sparrow added that the creation of the referendum is because of population growth. He said the Savannah Green project would only continue what has been a theme within the city of DeKalb for years now, and that is steady growth.

So while the Savannah Green project awaits approval from the city council, questions continue to spread about how much of a financial burden all this may have on households.

Nothing good is freeAdams said despite the increased taxes the referendum could bring, citizens have to give a little more to receive a little more.

“If you want a good school district, you have to put money into the school system,” Adams said.

Page Pavelich, who has a son still too young to be affected by the referendum, said that as a former teacher, she understands the necessity to have this particular referendum passed.

“My husband and I are in favor of the referendum because we see a need for restructuring of the school, class sizes, basically a plan for the future,” Pavelich said. “Anything to make the education and learning experience better.”

Ali said that regardless of the imposing Savannah Green project, which will be decided after the Nov. 5 election, the people of DeKalb will let everyone know if the plan is beneficial.

“The community will let us know loud and clear on Nov. 5 if they support the school board’s efforts,” Ali said.