John Howard.

Last November, the voters in the Union Community School District went to the polls to decide on a bond referendum designed to address much needed facility and space deficiencies. The vote, if you remember, was unsuccessful. Specifically, the tally showed 2,012 votes in favor of the bond (59.85%), compared to 1,350 against (40.15%). In simplest terms, the referendum was voted down by a combination of six votes. Yes, just a handful of votes separated the district from addressing much needed facility improvements, for all four campus buildings last year. For some, who devoted countless hours to this project and strongly hoped the referendum would pass, there was a sense of failure. I was one of those individuals. However, as I look back on the entire process, we did not fail. We simply did not have the best plan for the voters at that time.

In light of this fact, the district has been working on a revised plan for this coming November. To this end, we talked to staff, listened to parents/guardians, heard from stakeholders at board meetings, and (probably) most importantly surveyed our district residents to garner some much needed feedback. All of these actions proved to be quite beneficial and successful in meeting the top goals– addressing needs over wants and reducing the cost and financial impact on tax payers.

This updated plan, again based on input from stakeholders, does include many of the projects from last time: HVAC/Mechanical upgrades, Electrical improvements, Roof replacements, Locker Room modernization, Restroom refurbishment, Classroom and Kitchen renovations, Media Center relocation, Parking lot replacements, and Safety/Security enhancements. Different from last year’s plan is Increasing storage options, Having a more centrally-located training room, Replacing many classroom door locks, Building a state-of-the art greenhouse, and Constructing a new wrestling room and bus barn. In my opinion, these are all district needs, not wants.

In addition to revising the November 2025 bond to address more district needs vs. wants, the board also was very conscientious of the financial impact on stakeholders. In the survey, which was completed by 547 residents, the tax burden was the second most important factor for the board to consider on any new plan. As a result, the board devoted countless hours in making sure the individual/family did not endure an excessive task burden. The result speaks for itself. This bond request of $18.5 million dollars is a $2 million dollar (or about 10%) reduction from 2024. Moreover, the tax impact is proposed at $2.60 instead of the $2.70 last year.

In summary, after the result in November 2024, the Union CSD Board of Education went back to the proverbial “drawing board”. This meant engaging voters in hundreds, if not thousands of conversations, as well as listening to comments at board meetings, analyzing the stakeholder survey and working with our construction company, architects and marketing firm on the best approach for the future. In my mind, the board members did an excellent job of formulating a plan that better addresses our district’s needs while also reducing the total cost and tax effect on our residents.

So, on November 4, 2025, the votes will again decide on a bond referendum for the Union Community School District. Based on the factors above– better addressing our district’s true needs and a reduction in total cost and individual/family tax impact- and others that can be found elsewhere, there is no question I am supporting it. Thank you for your consideration and time.

Go Knights!