Winthrop Harbor, Highland Park break school bond drives

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Updated: May 11, 2011 5:40PM

Big-money referendums drew out a lot of voters in Winthrop Harbor and the Highland Park area, where school districts were asking for more money. Neither district got it.

In Winthrop Harbor, the District 1 School Board sought approval for a $4,464,976 bond issue for the working cash fund to make up for lost state funds and balance the budget.

The measure was axed with a vote of 1,066, or 80.3 percent.

“We understand the state of the economy,” said School Board President Syndy Nugent. “We wanted to give people the opportunity to have the same level of services.”

Now the district will have to look at increasing class sizes and may eliminate bus service.

“We’re just going to have to try and do our best,” Nugent said.

Township High School District 113 in Highland Park and Deerfield asked for $133 million to improve the two school buildings, build and equip additions and make renovations for instructional purposes. That push was rejected by 5,586 votes, or 56.7 percent.

“We are extremely disappointed that the referendum did not pass. The Board of Ed unanimously voted to place this question on the ballot because they believe the defined renovations are essential,” said Superintendent George Fornero.

Next steps will be discussed at future board meetings, he said.

“But tonight we are disheartened because we believe this plan was necessary. We have to figure out how to tackle these significant challenges,” he said.

Voters in Mundelein High School District 156 supported a debt-service extension by 1,659 votes, or 65 percent.

Voters in Grayslake approved and North Chicago rejected the proposed Opt-Out Aggregation program, which would allowed the municipality the authority to negotiate a better price for electricity to residential and small commercial customers.

North Chicago residents narrowly rejected the measure by 182 votes, 51.5 percent. Grayslake residents supported it by 1,357 votes, or 82 percent.

Highwood voters rejected a proposal to increase the 9-1-1 Emergency Telephone System surcharge by $1 to $2 per month. The surcharge fell by 223 votes, or 55.6 percent.