Superintendent Ortiz shares information on MCHS’s upcoming referendum

The Morris Community High School Board of Education unanimously approved ballot language for a $67 million building referendum. This question will appear on the April 1 consolidated election ballot.

The current campus has served the community very well for 75 years, with the most recent addition happening 47 years ago. MCHS is in a great location in the heart of Morris. This proposal responds to survey feedback the District collected in 2022 and 2023 that provided very strong support for renovations and improvements. The proposal has been scaled down from the nearly twice as costly option of a completely new building that was considered, but not on the ballot, last year.

If approved, this project would accomplish several goals related to safety and security, dozens of new and renovated classrooms, and a new cafeteria, to name a few features. These goals came about not only from Board discussion and surveys, but also from a committee of community members who discussed several options for renovating or replacing the current buildings.

The current campus layout has students traveling outside among multiple buildings throughout the school day. The challenges this creates include several doors unlocking and locking throughout the day, as well as students crossing parking lots and traffic lanes in all types of weather. Having all students and staff under one roof would provide for improved security and supervision. This project would accomplish that by replacing the three outbuildings with a new two-story structure attached to the existing main building. This does not apply to the Grundy Area Vocational Center, which is a separate entity, but the District would be better able to control student travel to and from GAVC.

This addition would include several dozen new classrooms and offices, a new air-conditioned cafeteria that is at ground level rather than in the basement, consolidated offices coupled with a secure vestibule at the main entrance, and a new media center. Classrooms and labs would increase in size by as much as 50% to 60% to be consistent with modern teaching and learning styles and enhanced safety.

The updates would not be limited to the new addition, but would also include extensive renovations throughout much of the main building, including not only upgraded classrooms, but also renovated restrooms and a much more efficient layout. Our music programs would benefit from new spaces that are adjacent to the auditorium. These are improvements that would benefit not only students and staff, but the many community organizations that use our facilities throughout the year.

Another feature of this project is additional parking and bus pick-up/drop-off lanes that would help streamline what is currently a challenging traffic process.

The impact to taxpayers is of great importance and is estimated to be about $80 per year for every $100,000 of fair market value for their property. The District has several documents on its website, including a Tax Impact Calculator that allows property owners to get a better estimate.

One topic that tends to come up every few years and has been raised again regarding this project is school consolidation. Specifically, some people wonder if consolidating the three elementary school districts into one district, or all four districts into a unit district, would generate enough savings for this project. School consolidation would require all of the respective boards to participate in a consolidation study and then bring that question to the voters of each district. It is certainly a topic worth studying, but it would take time and community support to accomplish that, and the savings would not be sufficient or timely enough to pay for this project.

Another frequent question is why the District has not saved up the cash to pay for this project outright. There are rules that limit the amount of cash Districts can stockpile, and most voters would understandably object to being overtaxed to help the District save up for a project that may not happen for several years. The District’s tax rate is in the bottom 4% of all Illinois districts, and in the bottom 14% of Illinois high school districts.

The election date is April 1, with early voting starting in late February. Community members are encouraged to visit the project link on the high school’s website at www.morrishs.org to view more information including renderings, floor plans, and a detailed list of frequently asked questions.

Dr. Craig R. Ortiz

Superintendent

Morris Community High School District 101

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