Dupage Policy Journal

Residents of the Wheaton-Warrenville District 200 are urging taxpayers to attend school board meetings to voice their opinions on a new school scheduled to be built that could raise taxes in the future.

Janet Shaw said the school district voted to build the new Jefferson preschool without raising taxes, but the money has to come from somewhere.

"The district is planning to use 20-year lease certificates," Shaw told DuPage Policy Journal. "They still have to pay interest. That money has to come from somewhere."

Shaw said she expects something like the housing bubble from 2008 on the horizon.

"I see a bubble coming because our district isn’t the only district doing this," Shaw said. "We know other districts are building new buildings without going to referendum."

If the districts can build buildings and if they can raise taxes without going to referendum, she said the taxpayers should anticipate increases. 

"When they borrow that money and spend it today, it raises future taxes," Shaw said.

She explained that the school district attempted to get the building approved twice before, but each time it was voted on, taxpayers voted no. 

When the school district decided to call it a lease, which could be done without taxpayer approval, Shaw sued the district. The lawsuit was filed on Aug. 6, wherein she alleged the school district was attempting to dodge taxpayers' approval by calling it a lease. 

Shaw said after she filed the lawsuit, the district decided to let the community vote on the project again.

Shaw then agreed to dismiss the lawsuit. This time, the referendum passed.

"They ran it on, 'this won't cost you anything,' and had everyone that ever went to the school put a sign in their yard," Shaw said. "I’m ok with them building the building, but I’m not ok with how they’re planning to fund it because I don’t think we should be paying a large amount of interest in order to kick the can down the road so we can spend today and pay tomorrow."