The committee responsible for solving the overcrowding problem at DeKalb’s schools believes it is much closer to a solution.

John Lewis, associate director at NIU’s Center for Governmental Studies and a facilitator for the referendum proposal, said the ad-hoc representative committee agreed on estimates for the high school and middle schools.

Renovation costs for all schools will be $30 million, according to a press release.

Lewis cautioned the amount was an estimate, and has not been verified by any architects.

Changes will be made in some elementary schools, but the committee has not decided which schools will see changes, he said.

The committee would like to change the Clinton Rosette and Huntley elementary schools into middle schools.

“The committee’s goal is to build a facility within the next two years that will have the capacity to hold students and prevent overcrowding through the 2011, 2012 school year,” Lewis said.

Once the committee has reached a proposal, it will make a recommendation to the DeKalb Board of Education. The board will have to look over the recommendations before the proposal goes to the court, Lewis said.

If the committee passes a referendum in November, the additions to the high school probably could be finished within 18 months to two years.

If enrollment increases at DeKalb’s schools, additional teachers would be hired to teach the students and to deal with class sizes, but approval would be needed from the school board.

“It’s possible that it’ll be the fall of 2004 before anything is implemented,” Lewis said. “Just because you build six new classrooms doesn’t mean you have to hire six new teachers. Teachers won’t be hired just to fill space.”

Building space is a primary issue under examination by the group.

“Our job on the committee is to decide what can be done about overcrowding in the classrooms,” Lewis said. “Teachers’ salaries are not included in referendum.”

Referendum money would be used for capital costs, not operational costs.

“The money for the referendum can only be used for bricks, and borders and classrooms,” he said.

Teacher salaries come from the operations budget and the educating, operating, maintenance and transportation budget.

As enrollment increases, so will the number of houses in the community, Lewis said.

“With that, you will have an increase in assessed evaluation and that the town would be able to apply existing tax rates to the value of the new homes, and that hopefully will generate enough money for the operational side of the house to pay teachers,” he said.

A Web site has been designed to inform residents of the most recent referendum updates. It can be found at www.cgsniu.org, under the link “DeKalb School Referendum.”