Community Unit School District 300 is asking voters on November 3 to approve a $355.5 million bond request to update facilities across its sprawling 118-square-mile territory, a measure the district says is needed to address 50-year-old buildings and projected enrollment growth of roughly 4,000 students over the next decade. The bond question will appear on ballots for residents within district boundaries in portions of McHenry and Kane counties, along with small portions of Cook and DeKalb counties.
The request comes out of what the district calls its Together for Tomorrow master facility plan, created in 2024 to prepare for student growth and aging infrastructure, according to Shaw Local. The plan covers more than 20 projects touching nearly all of the district's schools and carries a total price tag of $442.5 million, with the district contributing $87 million in its own funds and issuing $355.5 million in bonds to cover the rest.
District administrators laid out three funding tiers for the school board in June: Plan A at $337 million total with $250 million in bonds structured to avoid a tax-rate increase, Plan B at $391 million, and Plan C at $442.5 million with $355.5 million in bonds, according to Citizen Portal. On July 21, the Board of Education voted 7-0 to adopt Plan C, selecting the referendum option with the highest tax impact after considering all three amounts, per the same outlet's reporting on the board's decision to place the bond on the November 3 ballot.
Why the Bigger Plan Means a Tax Increase
The choice matters because of how the district's existing debt works. District 300 Finance Director Frank Williams told the board in June that the district pays approximately $25 million annually in debt service, which explains why the $250 million bond under Plan A could have replaced retiring debt without raising tax rates. Plan C, by contrast, borrows beyond that retiring debt and expands the district's overall property tax obligations.
Per district documents cited by Shaw Local, the borrowing would raise taxes by about $8.41 per month, or roughly $101 per year for 25 years, for the owner of a $400,000 home. District 300 serves 15 municipalities, including Algonquin, Carpentersville, Hampshire, Lake in the Hills, West Dundee, East Dundee, Gilberts, Pingree Grove and Sleepy Hollow, according to Dundee-Crown High School, meaning property owners across several counties and townships will see varying assessments tied to the same measure.
What the Money Would Build
The facility plan includes new cafeterias, bathrooms, roof repairs and replacements, stadium and auditorium renovations, secured entries and classroom additions, per district documents reported by Shaw Local. A centerpiece of the proposal is a districtwide career and technical education center that would serve all three high schools, potentially offering automation and robotics, culinary and healthcare programs, as well as space for special education transitional programming and the D300 food pantry.
District 300 is the sixth-largest school district in Illinois, with 28 schools, more than 20,000 students and about 2,500 staff members. Its schools average about 50 years old and need repairs and updates to roofs, windows, electrical, plumbing, and heating and cooling systems, according to a district news release cited by Shaw Local. Voters last approved a major capital bond for the district two decades ago, in 2006, when they authorized $185 million in borrowing during a previous wave of suburban residential growth.
Safety Upgrades Follow Recent Scares
Secured building entries feature prominently in the pitch to voters, coming after recent incidents that have put school safety in the spotlight locally. In April, Dundee Highlands Elementary School in West Dundee was placed on lockdown after an 18-year-old high school student's replica water rifle triggered active-shooter 911 calls, as Hoodline previously reported. In August 2025, Superintendent Martina Smith mobilized crisis response teams and counseling at Hampshire High School after the fatal shooting of a 17-year-old student in Hampshire.
Academically, the district's high schools post strong outcomes even as facility concerns mount. The Class of 2025 recorded graduation rates of 96.2% at Jacobs High School, 96% at Hampshire High School and 92.6% at Dundee-Crown High School, while 2024 Illinois Report Card data showed districtwide gains in reading proficiency but missed state targets in math, according to Citizen Portal's review of the report card figures.
Supporters and Opponents Organize Ahead of Election Day
A group called Advance 300 has announced its support for the referendum, with newly appointed co-chairs Anne Miller and Rhiannon Seward citing current and future student growth, aging schools, and changes in education that require different kinds of learning spaces. Miller is a former District 300 board member and president whose three children attended the district, and Seward has two children currently enrolled; Nancy Zettler is also listed as a member of the advocacy group, per Shaw Local's reporting.
The Joint District 300 Local IPACE, a political action committee that includes representatives from the district's education support association, educational services personnel association and local education association unions, is also advocating for voters to pass the referendum, according to an Illinois Education Association news release. Spokesperson Sandra Ludwig said the investment would support the growing student population, improve learning spaces, address overcrowding and expand career and technical education opportunities.
Opposition has organized as well. The Algonquin Township Republicans placed roadside campaign signs throughout the district urging voters to reject the $355.5 million request, according to the McHenry County Blog. The Kane County GOP and other Republican-aligned groups also oppose the measure, citing opposition to property tax increases, while a group called District 300 IL Watchdogs has distributed yard signs it says are paid for by the people of Kane County, arguing residents cannot afford the higher property taxes the referendum would bring. Robert Reining, who is running for McHenry County Board District 3 against Democratic incumbent Carolyn Campbell, opposes the referendum and previously spoke out against the district's tax approach at a 2022 school board meeting, per Shaw Local.
Upcoming Meetings for Voters
District 300 has scheduled five public information sessions, all starting at 6 p.m., for residents who want details before casting a ballot. Sessions are set for Monday at Dundee-Crown High School, Tuesday at Westfield Community School, and Wednesday at Jacobs High School, followed by sessions on October 28 at Hampshire Middle School and October 29 at Hampshire High School, according to a District 300 video announcement. Election Day is November 3.
