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Survey shows broad support for $84M junior-high option tied to 0 tax-rate increase
Summary
A consultant presented results of a 2,245-response community survey showing majority support for a $84 million junior-high plan described as a 0 district tax-rate increase; board members discussed next steps and key election dates.
A consultant for the district told the Mahomet-Seymour CUSD 3 board on Monday that a community survey of 2,245 respondents shows clear support for a junior-high replacement plan that would not raise the district tax rate.
“80.2% of your population that took this survey are in support of 0 tax rate increase plan,” Jess Whitlock, founder of YesHQ, said during the presentation of outreach methods and survey tabulation. Whitlock described three referendum options the district tested: an $84,000,000 junior-high replacement framed as a 0 district tax-rate increase; a $98,000,000 package that added Lincoln Trail physical-education work; and a $127,000,000 package with additional upgrades. The $84 million option drew the broadest support across age groups.
Whitlock said the survey found 2,245 total responses and presented a median willingness to pay of $20 per month among those who indicated a nonzero amount. She cautioned that survey support does not guarantee turnout and recommended continued community education on how the district can deliver the $0 tax-rate increase language while still funding the project. “This is a survey,” she said. “District will want to continue informing residents about where you’re going next with this, why it's possible, how it’s going to work, and answering questions with facts.”
Board members thanked the consultant and staff for outreach work; several members said the data narrowed the board’s options. The consultant flagged administrative deadlines if the board chooses to place a question on the ballot: board-resolution deadline August 17, early voting begins September 24, and Election Day is November 3, 2026. The presentation noted the $84M option was modeled on an average home value of $350,000 and estimated the average household tax impact at about $191 per year under those assumptions, while emphasizing that the district tax rate—not each homeowner’s bill—was the metric communicated to residents.
Next steps described by administration include drafting referendum language for board review at the August meeting, continued outreach, and finalizing fiscal modeling for the board’s September budget discussion.
