Sunset Ridge School District 29, serving the village of Northfield and a small portion of Northbrook, is seeking $23.5 million in funding to renovate Middlefork School in Northfield, one of two elementary schools in the district. On the upcoming March 17 Cook County Primary Election ballot, resident s of District 29 will have the option to vote yes or no on the bond referendum, which would allow the district to borrow money to fund the partial rebuild and infrastructure upgrade of the K-3 school. Two other referendums, for a fire protection district and a park district, are also on the ballot in this area and, if passed, would each raise property taxes an additional amount. The District 29 school renovation project is expected to cost about $40 million in total, and the proposed $23.5 million bond referendum would fund just a portion of the overall price tag. If approved by voters, property taxes paid to the district would increase based on home market value. The owner of a $500,000 home could expect to see an annual tax increase of $444, while the owner of a $1 million home would have to pay an extra $920 in property taxes. Voters can utilize the district’s tax impact calculator to estimate their total cost increase. Sunset Ridge School District 29 plans to finance the additional project costs through a combination of “anticipated interest earnings on bond proceeds, fundraising efforts and a future debt certificate issuance planned for 2028,” according to District 29 Superintendent Edward Stange. The debt certificate would be paid using existing, available resources and would not additionally raise property taxes in the area, though as the proposal clarifies, additional project funding costs would be subject to Board action and may require “future financial conditions.” The referendum reads: “Shall the Board of Education of Sunset Ridge School District Number 29, Cook County, Illinois, build and equip an academic building to replace a portion of the Middlefork School Building, alter, repair and equip the remaining portion of said school building, improve the site thereof, install safety and security measures, increase student accessibility to educational and outdoor spaces, and issue its bonds to the amount of $23,500,000 for the purpose of paying the costs thereof?” District 29 lowered the bond referendum from an original proposal of $30 million after incorporating community input, in an effort to reduce the taxpayer impact, the proposal said. The partial rebuild and renovation to Middlefork would “improve safety and security as well as balance modernization, fiscal responsibility and continuity of instruction,” according to the proposal. Improvements to the school plan to address a variety of its aging infrastructure challenges would include: • Enhancing safety systems through reinforced materials, secure entry points, and interior movement barriers • Upgrading the fire suppression system and integrated storm shelter • Building ADA-compliant restrooms and accessible indoor and outdoor pathways • Installing energy-efficient HVAC, plumbing, roofing, electrical and lighting systems • Updating the gymnasium and multipurpose room and cafeteria • Replacing outdated school wings with modern classroom infrastructure and phased construction to move away from modular classrooms • A new two-story layout with 23 purpose-designed classrooms organized by grade-level clusters (16 core, four specials, two special education and one preschool) • More secure playground areas • Exterior building design optimized for durability and energy efficiency “If approved, I am most looking forward to our youngest and most vulnerable students (K-3rd grade) benefitting from the same state-of-the-art safety and security features in their school that their peers at Sunset Ridge School (4-8) benefit from,” Stange said in an email. The District 29 referendum isn’t the only one that could raise Northfield and some of Northbrook’s taxes, however. Northfield Park District is proposing a 0.1% tax increase (about $30 per $100,000 in property value or $300 for a $1 million home per year) to improve its parks and build out its 2023-2028 Comprehensive Master Plan, which includes designing the new Northside Pocket Park and supporting several park district community center expansions. Northbrook Rural Fire Protection District is also proposing a 0.1% tax increase for improvements for its emergency and rescue crew and for additional equipment purposes. The estimated tax increase for a $100,000 property is $30.36 per year. If all three referendums pass, voters with million dollar homes residing in these district in the Northfield and Northbrook areas can expect to pay several hundred dollars more in total property taxes per year. Pending voter approval on the District 29 referendum, construction on Middlefork School is expected to begin as early as April 2027. The phased renovation approach will allow for portions of the existing building to remain open and operational while new portions are completed. District 29 officials said the timeline for completion is dependent on a variety of factors including building permitting, bidding, financing schedules and weather conditions, but the phased renovation is expected to last 2.5 to 3 years. Additional information about the bond referendum and proposal can be found at www.sunsetridge29.org/proposal. ...read more read less