Minooka CCSD 201 to skip referendum spring question

The Minooka Community Consolidated School District 201 will not try again for a referendum, at least not this spring.

In a letter issued to parents by school board president Jim Satorius and superintendent Dr. Kristopher P. Monn, the district explained plans to forgo a referendum question to deal with overcrowding in the district until at least next fall.

“In the wake of three failed referendums, the Board of Education and District Administration have continued the discussion of how to combat the overcrowding issues in our district. Even though these losses at the polls have been disappointing, this problem is not going away, and each and every year it becomes more imperative to find a solution,” the letter stated.

The district’s Facilities Planning Survey did not show strong enough community support to warrant moving a fourth referendum forward on the March 2020 election. The letter noted that the demographic study indicated that the most probable scenario shows enrollment continuing to grow through the next decade, so the overcrowding is expected “to even grow more severe for the foreseeable future.”

According to that letter, since the next possible time to place a referendum on the ballot is in November 2020, that date will be the target for the next referendum question to head to the voters.

“That gives us the first half of [2020] to work with our community in defining a solution to our enrollment challenges that will earn the support for a majority of our voters,” the letter continued. “In this time of uncertainty, we would like to ensure that we will continue to support our staff as they deal with the day to day impact of our growing enrollment.”

The letter concluded with thanks to teachers and district staff for their work to provide a quality education despite the daily challenges they face as a result of our overcrowding.

“We understand that these are not ideal teaching and learning conditions and appreciate their dedication to our students and our district,” the letter continued. “District leadership will be evaluating ways to enhance community trust and support through increased outreach, communication and conversation with our stakeholders. We are going to redouble our efforts to engage our community in this dialogue, so we encourage you to monitor district communications as we navigate through the challenges our schools are facing.”