Voters in one local school district will be considering a referendum for major updates to school buildings when they head to the polls in a few weeks.
The Cerro Gordo School Board has an item on the April 4th ballot seeking the community's support to upgrade its facilities. Superintendent Brett Robinson explains the measure asks voters to allow the district to sell up to 8-million dollars in bonds for improvements to the Cerro Gordo Junior/Senior High School campus. He says the largest part of the project would include a new regulation size gymnasium, as well as new classroom spaces.
Robinson notes the plans would also take care of required Health, Life, and Safety projects that would total 3-million dollars on their own.
The proposal would have an impact on local property taxes. Robinson explains the maximum impact on a home valued at 100-thousand dollars would mean an additional 11-dollars per month in the school district's portion of property taxes.
Despite the increase, Robinson is optimistic as the election draws near. He notes the Cerro Gordo district has not raised property taxes in response to the ongoing issues of state funding, and is in fact highly graded by the state of Illinois when it comes to the district's fiscal responsibility.
The last major school facility referendum in Cerro Gordo took place when the district built a new grade school around the year 2000. Again this current proposal goes before voters in the consolidated general election on April 4th.
