Yorkville District 115 lays out options for solving school overcrowding, 2 include raising taxes

Since the phrase “bursting at the seams” was first used by Yorkville School District 115 officials to describe their classroom capacity crisis, big changes have been anticipated.

The first options for the facilities master plan construction overhaul is coming to light. This follows Superintendent Matt Zediker and district officials embarking on a community listening tour, collecting feedback on the town’s priorities and desires.

Now comes the tricky part.

Four possible options have emerged. Two keep the community’s property taxes where they are at. Two have tax increases that will require public approval via referendum.

Brewing for decades, insufficient investment in the facilities struggled to keep up with the region’s booming population growth. The classroom capacity crisis was born out of the community’s reluctance to approve new construction via tax-raising referendum.

In just the last four school years, student enrollment across the district has increased by at least 10.5% annually, according to district documents.

Struggling to meet demand, the district resorted to approving three temporary outdoor “polebarn classrooms” outside elementary schools for a total of $3.9 million.

The district also recently approved busing overflow students from their nearest schools to another school within the district that has available space. They believe this will help even out the enrollment increases across the district.

The district also purchased 100 extra acres near the high school for $2 million for a new space to build.

Following the community listening tour, a steering committee hammered out some potential facility master plan options. Since October 2024, the steering committee, comprised of current and former board of education members, district administrators, teachers, principals, students, and community members, developed options with the district’s architecture firm and construction management team.

Option 1 and Option 3 are the no-tax increase plans. Option 1 totals $159,331,287 and Option 3 totals $160,331,287.

According to the district, these two no-tax increase options are possible because as existing district debt is retired in the upcoming years, the district will be able to refinance and issue new debt without raising the current bond-interest levy.

Several members of the community are skeptical the district will be able to abate its capacity crisis without a much higher financial commitment from the town.

That’s where Option 2 and Option 4, the tax-increasing options, come into play. Option 2 totals $281,009,000 and Option 4 totals $266,442,000.

That means there is more than a $121 million difference between the least expensive option of the four and the more expensive one, a 56% difference in cost.

While the plans share some similarities, there are some seismic differences. Here are some of the highlights.

All four plans involve constructing a new middle school on new property. The no-tax increase options have that slated for around $95 million, while the tax-increase options have larger footprints at $107 million.

All four plans involve constructing a performing arts and field house auditorium outside Yorkville High School. But the tax-increase options add a new academic wing at the high school for $46 million more at a total price tag of $106 million.

The two tax-increase options come with expanded spaces at most of the district’s schools, more parking spaces, and more green spaces for the children.

Another significant difference between the options is both the tax-increase options include constructing a new elementary school on new property while the no-tax increase options do not. The new elementary school would run more than $46 million.

As more community feedback is gathered, the steering committee will be revising the four facility master plan options throughout the summer. They will be incorporating feedback from the board before sharing the updated options with the public once again.

Come November, the board will finalize ballot questions regarding the facility master plan for the March 2026 election.