East St. Louis SD 189 reviews bond options to fund $17.2 million CTE project and other campus repairs

East St. Louis SD 189 officials on the meeting reviewed capital projects and borrowing options to pay for a new Career and Technical Education (CTE) building and other campus repairs.

Greg Getty of Holland Construction told the board the CTE trade packages drew competitive bids and recommended proceeding with two of five alternates (canopies and mezzanine storage) and carrying contingency funds. "So what we're looking for tonight is approval, to move forward with the project," Getty said, and he named a total project budget of $17,197,527, funded by a DCEO grant.

Getty also described other early-stage projects: an auditorium renovation the team has reduced toward $6,000,000 after earlier estimates around $8,400,000; combined parking additions at several campuses with a rough budget just over $3,000,000; athletic facilities and turf fields with earlier estimates near $17,000,000; and a proposed high-school cafeteria reconfiguration estimated at $1,000,000. He said the total of currently unfunded projects was about $21,000,000, and architects' refinements could add another $3–5 million.

Anne Noble of Stifel reviewed the district's debt position and three 20-year borrowing scenarios. Noble said the district's statutory debt capacity without voter approval is about $29,000,004.38 and that current borrowing costs were about 5.3%. She presented estimated tax-rate increases tied to borrowing amounts: roughly 21¢ for a $20 million issue, 34¢ for $22 million, and 53¢ for $25 million. Noble also provided homeowner cost examples: under the $20 million scenario a $100,000 market-value home would see about a $58 annual increase.

Noble outlined the steps required to sell bonds: the board would first adopt a resolution of intent, publish a public notice that opens a 30-day petition period, hold a public hearing at the next board meeting, and then, if no petition blocking the sale is filed, approve the sale and receive proceeds roughly a month later.

Board members and staff discussed the county school facility sales tax as an alternative revenue source. Noble noted the tax—if pursued at the county level—could produce about $3.5 million annually for East St. Louis but is restricted by statute to school facility purposes, mental-health professionals, or school resource officers; it cannot be used for general operating expenses. Board members emphasized that the county superintendents had not yet decided to advance the tax and that each district board would have to pass its own resolution to participate if the county puts the tax on a ballot.

The meeting produced no final decision to issue bonds; the presentations and numbers were presented for the board's information and to inform future decisions. The district staff indicated next steps would include confirming funding sources and, if desired, preparing a resolution of intent to begin the formal process.

The board moved on to consent and other business after the presentations.