Frequently Asked Questions

The Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School District 307 Board of Education is asking residents to vote on a proposed $62 million bond referendum on November 5th. If approved, the bond referendum will fund identified improvements to the high school building and will assist in funding the Facility Master Plan. The new Facility Master Plan identified priorities and improvements to address safety, security, mobile trailers, and renovate learning spaces.

Projects included in the proposal are identified needs for the district.

• Add 15 learning spaces to the existing building with approximate space for 300 students.
• Improve site traffic flow on North Street.
• Relocate and improve performing arts facilities.
• Add new and expanded Science and STEM lab spaces.
• Renovate and expand food service and student cafeteria.
• Create a dedicated student services area for student support, including space for counselors and social work.
• Renovate current gyms to provide space for Science, STEM, and fine arts programs.
• Centralize physical education spaces, additional courts, pool observation, and other upgrades by adding a Fieldhouse.
• Improve the learning environment by reducing hallway traffic and excess noise created by having PE stations located in academic areas.
• Relocate library to current weight room space.

Beginning in January 2024, Building Better was created to gather input from a broad base of parents, employees and residents of Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School District 307.

Building Better was a committee of parents, community members, and school staff dedicated to working together to plan for the future of our high school. To ensure a thorough and inclusive planning process, three community engagement sessions were conducted, each drawing participation from over 100 community members. These sessions served multiple purposes: educating attendees on the current state and needs of facilities, discussing potential improvement scenarios, and examining financial options.

Building Better's work was supplemented by a public opinion survey to fully understand the desires of residents. The results of these efforts have resulted in the current bond proposal.

Just as homeowners must sometimes spend money to maintain their homes, the District must spend money to protect the investment that the community has made in its schools and neighborhoods. If approved, the bond issue will allow us to help protect the financial future of our District, continue to provide an outstanding high school for our students, and allow BBCHS to remain a source of pride in our community.

Renovation and repairs are needed, and costs will only increase each year. While the high school is structurally sound, it is old with many out-of-date conditions. If approved, the bond proposal would provide funding to help the high school support today's curriculum and instruction, safety and security needs, and all instructional spaces.

Investing in updated and improved buildings will benefit many future generations of students and homeowners. The facilities will be more efficient to operate, thus saving our District money. It is good financial and educational planning.

BBCHS conducted a district-wide survey (before formulating a final plan of action, which is the bond referendum) with residents of Bradley and Bourbonnais posing this same question. Our results showed that 70% of residents voted "no" on this idea. Also, the cost of a new school would increase drastically compared to the cost of renovations and additions that will be implemented with the bond referendum.

If approved by voters on November 5th, design of the facility would begin immediately. Due to the extent of renovation and reconfiguration to existing spaces, much of the project would likely be completed and in use for the fall 2027 school year. However, the balance of the project would likely be completed for the Fall 2028 school year. This schedule is tentative and will be refined through the design process to deliver the best project for BBCHS.

Every effort to ensure a continuation of a high-quality learning environment is planned. Construction at schools is a very common occurrence. While things will feel different and be a bit busy at times, efforts will be made to limit student and contractor traffic and occupancy, noise is controlled and limited to non-peak times, and ultimately that we are able to continue delivering as much of our high quality programming as possible. In fact, the project may provide a learning opportunity for the students as well. Observing the construction and design process has been found to peak student's interest in those careers.

The November 5th, 2024 referendum asks voters to approve $62 million in bonds. BBCHS District 307 will fund an additional $8 million on facility improvements from its operating budget. In total, the $70 million of improvements will address prioritized district-wide facility needs. The bonds are for 20 years.

If the referendum is successful, a community member who owns a house valued at $200,000 would see their taxes increase approximately $277 a year for 20 years. The following chart shows the monthly tax impacts for homes of varying values.

$100,000 Market Value Home
          Monthly: $10.42
$200,000 Market Value Home
          Monthly: $23.08
$300,000 Market Value Home
          Monthly: $35.75
$400,000 Market Value Home
          Monthly: $48.42

BBCHS District 307 is funding $8 million of the $70 million of renovations from its operating budget. This contribution will save taxpayers $5 million in interest payments. This is possible due to our dedication to responsible spending and long-term financial health.

The current needs will not go away. Delaying improvements will only result in higher costs in the future. The proposal, if approved in November, will avoid expensive future repairs. If the referendum is not successful, it would cause the Board of Education and administrative teams to rethink next steps. In addition to the replacement of the currently outdated mobile trailers, there may be consideration to even add more to allow for science and other programming to be offered.

A quality high school education and a high-quality high school are two of the most impactful factors when looking at thriving successful communities, and they help to maintain strong property values. Protecting our school is also an investment in our community. The delivery of quality education results in support for the local workforce, too.

With today's economy, if the proposal is approved by the voters, the district will be diligent to protect the taxpayer's investment while completing the identified projects in the bond referendum proposal. The current budgets developed throughout the planning process are based on local and regional projects of similar scopes and types. These figures not only estimate costs related to design and construction, but also include contingency dollars that allow for unknown items to be accomplished as the design progresses. In addition to the basis of the budget, through the design process, there will be more detailed estimates taken to ensure the scope and budget remain intact. There are no guarantees when it comes to construction, but the district and its architect have taken every measure to position the district for a successful project.

School safety is a priority in our schools and a priority for our community. If approved by voters, the bond referendum will enable the district to make the high school campus more safe and secure for students and staff.

In addition to technology such as cameras, card readers, etc., the design's most major safety improvement is related to entry/exit and students remaining in the building. A new secured entry system at the front and rear will allow for student and visitor access. The addition not only eliminated the need for upwards of 1000 students to leave the building to attend classes in the portable trailers, but also creates a system that does not require any students to leave the building unless to access playing fields for outdoor physical education.

Yes! This plan replaces the 12 mobile classrooms with 14 general classrooms within the building. The current 12 portable classrooms have reached the end of their functional lives. This means the district can take this opportunity to provide proper capacity for those learning spaces in the main building, or invest in removing and replacing the portable classrooms to serve for years to come.

This referendum would provide improvements to all programming across the building. Science and hands-on STEM programming, English and media center, performing arts, physical education, student services, and food service would all provide increased opportunities for students. There are currently science labs that cannot be offered due to lack of lab space, and some students cannot take certain classes due to overlap with the hours-long lunch schedule - these issues that are limiting our students' opportunities would be eliminated.

Currently, the cafeteria is too small to accommodate the needs of BBCHS and requires six (6) lunch periods from 10:30am - 1:30pm. Due to this, the lunch schedule controls the building schedule - classes with only one section may not be available to portions of the student body simply because it won't fit their lunch schedule.

For many generations, providing a high quality school has been a source of pride for us. Improving our school building now will benefit many future generations of students and homeowners. An up-to-date high school will help us make sure that our graduates, now and well into the future, are well-prepared for success in the workplace or in higher education.

Simply put, a bond is much like a personal home loan, and is a way for government entities, such as school districts, to borrow money for large projects and repay them with future tax proceeds. An individual generally approaches a financial institution for a mortgage because they don't have the means to pay for their home with one large initial payment.

On November 5, 2024, the BBCHS District 307 community will be asked to decide on the following question:

Shall the Board of Education of Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School District Number 307, Kankakee County, Illinois, alter, repair, and equip the Bradley-Bourbonnais High School building and improve the site therof, including installing safety, security and technology improvements, improving heating, cooling, and ventilation systems, fine arts facilities, building and equipping a field house addition, eliminating mobile classrooms, renovating science labs and other learning spaces, and expanding cafeteria and food service areas and issue bonds of said School District to the amount of $62,000,000 for the purpose of paying the costs thereof?

All registered voters in BBCHS District 307 are eligible to vote in this election. Residents may also request absentee ballots and find a complete list of voting locations by visiting the Kankakee County Clerk Website.

Yes! Early voting begins 40 days preceding the election, Thursday, September 26th and extends through November 4th. Any qualified voter may vote prior to Election Day at any site established for early voting by the election authority. The most up-to-date information about early voting can be found by visiting the Kankakee County Clerk Website.

 A simple majority (50 percent + 1) is required for the referendum to pass.