Morris Community High School puts $67M two-story addition on referendum

The fate of a new $67 million, two-story addition to Morris Community High School lies in the hands of the voters during the April 2, 2025, election.

The Morris High School Board moved to place a referendum on the ballot to fund the project:

“Shall the Board of Education of Morris Community High School District Number 101, Grundy and Kendall Counties, Illinois, build and equip an addition to and alter, repair and equip the Morris Community High School Building, including constructing secured entryways and new classrooms, STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) labs, performing arts and other instructional spaces, cafeteria and library/media center, improving heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems and technology infrastructure and equipment and constructing parking lot and drop-off/pick-up zone improvements, demolish other buildings on the Morris Community High School campus, and issue its bonds to the amount of $67,000,000 for the purpose of paying the costs thereof?”

Superintendent Craig Ortiz said the L-shape part of the building, which includes the gymnasium and the south wing of the school, will remain while the unattached sections of the school such as the art building and the choir and band room will be demolished.

Ortiz said this came about after a few years of discussion. The process started with the district wanting an entirely new school building, but gradually turned into the current plans for an addition due to feedback from taxpayers. The new addition brings some much-needed changes to the district.

“We have kids moving around all day, doors locking and unlocking,” Ortiz said. “That worked in 1949. It’s worked for decades, but it’s something that has people’s attention. There’s the need to update classrooms, the need to make new labs. It’s hard to renovate rooms in an existing footprint because you lose rooms.”

Ortiz said that renovating three classrooms that are adjacent to one another usually leads to those three classrooms becoming two because of the square footage adjustment.

He said the cafeteria also is an issue because it’s in the basement. It needs to be larger and air-conditioned. Other issues include the need to connect the fine arts, band and chorus classes to the rest of the school so students won’t have to walk outside to separate buildings.

Ortiz said the district calculated that the referendum would have a $240 impact on property taxes for a home worth $280,000.

If the referendum passes, parts of the school will be renovated and the HVAC systems will be replaced. It would allow the district to upgrade the electrical service, since most panels are at capacity, upgrade plumbing infrastructure, improve traffic flow and become more handicap accessible.

The school has one elevator under construction, and a second elevator will be built with the new building. Current projects also include the replacement of the gym floor, new bleachers in the gym, and new HVAC in the gym. This is being done under $1,980,770, though district Business Director Elizabeth Shields thinks there’s a chance the new HVAC for the gym might not be approved.

Shields also said that the $1,980,770 is probably more than the district will need to spend on those improvements, and it’s only that high to allow wiggle room.

For information, visit https://tinyurl.com/447uu3tb.