The District 153 school board expects to sell $11 million in life safety bonds in the next year to cover expenses for building repairs.

A new roof and HVAC components at James Hart School are expected to cost $9.45 million. The work will be done in summer 2026. The board will also finish its work on the ventilation systems in five classrooms at Willow School for $176,250, according to Eric Trimberger, chief school business official. 

The district recently hired Studio GC for engineering work. The company gave a full assessment of the district’s James Hart, Churchill and Willow Schools and provided the school board with a list of projects that need attention. 

Life safety standards, developed by the Illinois State Board of Education, are in three alpha categories. Category A needs immediate attention. Trimberger said the district has immediate needs projects totaling about $1 million. Category B projects are a lesser urgency but should be done within 5 years. Plumbing and electrical work, needed across all three buildings, will take place in 2027 and 2028. The B Category projects total approximately $14 million. The C category is maintenance items. Trimberger estimates the district maintenance projects are about $15 million.

The announcement of the life safety financing plan came as the school board included that expense in the 2026 budget adopted at the Sept. 15 board meeting. Trimberger told the board, “These bonds will be structured so there is no increase in the debt portion of the property tax bills.”

The board approved a budget of $51,130,842 with expenditures of $44,562,342. The district cut costs by $1.5 million to this budget. The district will be reducing its levy by $1.55 million due to mandatory abatement requirements from the state for having received a $1.42 million Property Tax Relief Grant in 2024. The state did not award grants this year.