On April 1, 2025, 55.58% of Kaneland District 302 voters voted to pass a referendum including $140.3 million in bonds, according to the Kane County election results website, with that money being put towards addressing needs of the district that will impact all six schools.
According to an informational slideshow on the Kaneland website about the potential bonds, bonds are like a loan that governments take out to pay for big projects. The school district borrows money and pays it back over time using funds from property taxes.
The referendum will utilize these bonds for many projects. Kaneland High School is the subject of several, including addressing organizational problems with the school’s outdoor athletic facilities. The referendum information section of the Kaneland website shows a concept diagram of the campus improvements found in the construction plans. This diagram includes changes to the Peterson Field stadium, including the installation of a synthetic turf field and reconstruction and expansion of the stadium bleachers, concessions, press box, restrooms, team rooms, storage and ticket booth. The plan also includes removing the mound of dirt and debris located south of the soccer fields and replacing it with a parking area for approximately 100 vehicles. The location of the tennis courts will change with the construction of 12 new courts to meet the demands of the tennis program. The concept also includes improvements for drainage issues pertaining to baseball and practice fields.
Arguably the most ambitious part of the referendum is the addition of a fieldhouse to the high school to meet athletic and community needs. The plans for the fieldhouse include a 6-lane track, locker rooms, a fitness room, a weight room, a training room, a classroom and storage space. The visitor parking lot is expected to be modified to accommodate the fieldhouse, as the plan is for the fieldhouse to be constructed adjacent to the current East Gym.
“The intention is to build a place that the community has access to and can utilize beyond just the high school staff and students,” Director of Buildings and Grounds Mark Payton said.
Inside the high school, a focus of the referendum is to improve various classrooms and learning spaces. Improvements will be made to outdated science labs and classrooms, along with restrooms and locker rooms. The current West Gym will be modified in an effort to relocate production labs and to develop spaces for Career and Technical Education (CTE) opportunities. The main entrance of the high school is also expected to be expanded to enhance safety and security.
While the high school is the main focus of the referendum, other buildings in the district will be improved as well. Each of the elementary schools will receive replacements of their HVAC systems or the addition of air-conditioning in the gymnasiums. Playground updates are expected as well. Transportation services and the bus lot, which are currently located at the high school, will be moved to Harter Middle School.
While carrying out the plans detailed in the referendum, the district wants to make sure the community is able to have a voice. They are working on different ways to reach out to members of the community. Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kurt Rohlwing said that finding ways to get feedback from the community is one of their first steps.
“This isn’t me and just a couple of other people in the room just coming up with plans, so over the next month or so we’re going to come up with kind of an outreach plan,” Rohlwing said.
Updates on the referendum will continue to be provided at future board meetings.
