411 on 67 - 3.21.23

March 21, 2023

Dear Lake Forest Families:

Early voting in Lake County and Lake Forest has begun in anticipation of the April 4 Consolidated Election. Included on the ballot will be a referendum for the protection and preservation of our 88-year-old high school.

What's in the Referendum?

This plan has no fluff, frills, or extras. What began as a $160 M scope of work, was reduced to $140M, and finally - based on careful Board consideration and community feedback - $105.7M. This covers only the basics, including roofing, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, historic windows, lighting, masonry, safety and security systems, ADA accessibility enhancements, student support spaces, updated science labs, and updated classrooms. It does not pay for salaries or administrative expenses.

Videos describing each category of work may be found here:

• Maintenance and Infrastructure

• Safety and Security

• Traditional Classrooms

• Specialty Spaces

Click on the image below to take you to our pre-planning documentation for a more detailed look at anticipated work.

Financial Implications

On a home with a fair market value of $1M, the D115 Referendum would increase tax impact no more than $950 per year, or roughly $79 per month. Visit the tax calculator on our website to quickly view your tax impact based on your specific home value.

Why our Board of Education Supports this Investment

The video below features comments from members of your District 115 Board of Education at their March 7 meeting when they took a few minutes to explain why they unanimously voted to support this referendum in December 2022.

Still Have Questions?
For more information on the proposed District 115 referendum, please visit the Frequently Asked Questions section of our website or reach out to any District administrator or Board member.

Thank you for your thoughtful consideration of this investment in our high school.

Sincerely,

Superintendent

• April 11, 2023 - Joint Special Meeting
• April 25, 2023 - Regular Meeting

• Agenda
• Recording of Meeting

• Board President's Report

• Superintendent's Report
  
• School Spotlight: Deer Path Middle School - Watch Below!

Vote by Mail: Applications are available HERE and can be requested until March 30, 2023 at 5pm.

Early Voting: Early Voting at Lake Forest City Hall is now open through Saturday, April 1, 2023. Registered voters can also vote early at the Lake County Clerk's Office through Monday, April 3, 2023.

Election Day: Election Day is Monday, April 4, 2023 6am-7pm.

For more information about voting, visit the Office of the County Clerk's website.

Please take a moment to learn more about some of the frequently asked questions about the D115 referendum. Questions include:

• Why is Lake Forest High School District 115 placing a bond referendum on the April 2023 ballot?
• How has the District done its due diligence identifying and prioritizing its capital facility needs?
  
• Has the District properly maintained the high school?
• Why do the proposed improvements cost so much?
  
• Why not use existing tax revenues or existing savings to address the proposed improvements?
  
• Is it true that District 115 administrative expenses were up by 80% from FY20 to FY21, as reported in the Illinois State Report Card?
  
• Will District 67 also be going for a referendum soon?
  
• Why does District 67 have a financial model that avoids these larger taxpayer requests?
• Which of the proposed facility improvements are likely to have the greatest academic impact?
  

Over the past several weeks, we have been engaging in our literacy pilot. Want to learn how it’s going? Check it out the video below.

The annual 4th Grade Art Show is here and features works from every 4th Grade Student in District 67 through April 6, 2023 at our very own Gallery 300! Please plan to visit Gallery 300, and share in the talents and creative expressions of our students. Gallery hours are weekdays from 7:30 AM – 4:30 PM, and weekends during Citadel Theater performances. The gallery is located on the first floor of the Administration Center at 300 South Waukegan in Lake Forest. #LFMoments

Community of Learners is Lake Forest School District 67's early childhood preschool program for students ages 3-5 year-olds residing within the District 67 school boundaries.

Want to Learn More?

The Community of Learners program is housed within D67's Sheridan Elementary school. Watch the video below to learn how this provides unique opportunities for students to align with D67's calendar, activities, and curricula.

The City of Lake Forest is beginning construction on the Deerpath Community Park Improvement Project - located at the Lake Forest Recreation Center, behind Deer Path Middle School. The project involves installing synthetic turf athletic fields and additional amenities for the community park. The majority of construction activities will be confined to the project site, which includes Deerpath Community Park fields and tennis courts behind DPM.

The City has been extremely collaborative and intentionally timed the launch of this work to be the least disruptive by scheduling start during the week DPM is closed over Spring Break. The contractor will also work to limit activity during pickup and dropoff times at the school. For reasons of safety, drivers are asked to follow all directional signage. Please note that the fields behind DPM will not be used by our students during construction. Outdoor activities will be diverted to other DPM outdoor spaces. We appreciate your patience.

More information about the Deerpath Community Park Improvement Project may be found at http://www.cityoflakeforest.com/DeerpathPark

The Spirit of 67 would like to thank Rock the Spirit Platinum Sponsor Horizon!

General admission tickets are available for those who want to join in on the fun. There are also Backstage VIP and sponsorship opportunities available for those who want to show their support for the Spirit of 67 Foundation's mission.

CROYA is open over Spring Break!

Stop by Monday, March 27th-Friday, March 31st from 1pm-3pm! Check out the CROYA website for more information regarding our Spring Break plans!

Placements for the next session will be held April 4, 2023 at 7:30pm at Lake Forest High school.

Scout Aquatics is a Lake Forest High School Community Education Program. It is a USA Swimming team designed to serve children ages 6 and up. The team uses a progressive approach toward the development of the athletes while maintaining a fun atmosphere. Swimmers will improve technical skills, conditioning, and knowledge of the sport as they advance through the program. Each practice group has specific objectives that follow this continuum of development for young athletes.

For more information contact head coach Carolyn Grevers at cgrevers@lfschools.net or click below.