A small cost for a needed change
More stories from Marc Alvarez
Schools are the cornerstone of communities, and without adequate funding they are unable to match the needs of not only the students, but also their surrounding areas.
A plan has been put forth by the District 99 Board of Education to ensure that both DGN and DGS campuses continue to improve and adapt to changes in education.
District residents should vote “yes” to the Master Facility Plan on March 20. The plan addresses a wide range of school needs and is a very modest tax increase for the average family. It also remedies many of the current problems facing building facilities.
A new athletic field is planned to be added to the DGS campus and an expanded lunchroom to the DGN campus will address student concerns about overcrowding and a lack of weather-appropriate athletic fields.
Air conditioning will also be added to DGS. Currently, in the months of August, September and May, students are unable to focus as temperatures reach excruciating highs. This past year a temporary solution was implemented, but with the passing of the Master Facility Plan, there would finally be a permanent solution to a problem that has plagued DGS for decades.
The Master Facility Plan also addresses the need for heightened security at both DGS and DGN. New “air-lock” entrances will be built that will ensure that no one is able to enter the building without the necessary security approvals.
New collaborative spaces that will emphasize existing support services will also increase the opportunities for learning and growth at both DGS and DGN. Centralizing support services and creating an area for collaborative learning will alleviate morning hallway congestion and provide students with better access to tutoring and counseling.
These changes are not immensely expensive either. According to Board of Education President Nancy Kupka, for a $300,000 home there would be just a $65 tax increase. This means that for less than a dollar a day, District 99 facilities can finally receive the appropriate improvements that in many cases are long overdue.
Lindsay Morton • Apr 19, 2018 at 12:08 pm
I think that the new athletic field might cause more injuries to students because in the four years that I have been at DGS, there have been a countless number of students who have torn their ACL on the artificial turf. I do not believe that it is a safe for students to be using due to all the injuries that have occurred on the first artificial turf. Besides that, I think that the improvements to add air conditioning will be a huge success because students will be able to pay more attention in class instead of getting distracted by being overheated. The new air conditioning better be worth the $65 increase in taxes.
Scott M Riedel • Apr 19, 2018 at 12:07 pm
I think that the school is finally addressing major problems like air conditioning and is planning to spend money to fix it.
Brett Riegler • Apr 19, 2018 at 12:00 pm
I’m curious about the new athletic field. Where will it be placed? What sports will get to use it? Also about the new security. I think everyone wants to know more details about the new security the school will be implementing. Could Blueprint write an article addressing some more of the details for those two things?
Jessica Windischman • Apr 19, 2018 at 11:26 am
I believe these improvements are going to be really good for our school and DGN. I think that these changes have been needing to happen for a while especially the air conditioning, and so with it now actually being put into play, it’s going t be great. Even though i’ll be gone which kind of sucks.
Jen Masello • Apr 19, 2018 at 8:28 am
I never realized that the tax increase would slightly minimal for people in the community because that was a big concern for some people.
Rose Jensen • Apr 19, 2018 at 8:40 am
Same here. I think for some, $65 is a still a lot when they’re struggling to pay taxes as it is. I hope the new improvements are worth it.