August 14, 2024

At our August 13 Barrington 220 Board of Education meeting, as a Board we unanimously voted to proceed with a referendum seeking voter approval to address safety, security, and instructional needs at our schools, as well as build a new community auditorium at Barrington High School.

More than 2,500 community members collaborated throughout 2024 on a plan to address these challenges. The district then worked to make that plan even more efficient and fiscally responsible, saving taxpayers $11.5 million.

The final $64 million community-driven plan would cost the average district household an additional $236 per year. This plan will now go to the community for final approval in the upcoming November 5, 2024 election.

If successful, the referendum will:

• Increase Safety & Security throughout Barrington 220
• Build a New Community Auditorium at Barrington High School
• Enhance STEAM and Instructional Spaces for Students

The community’s plan for the future of our schools would ensure all Barrington 220 students have access to the quality education they deserve. It would allow us to alleviate safety concerns, address accessibility, improve programming, and increase opportunities for all our students. We could better protect the community’s investment in our buildings and safely support the community’s desire to use our high school for more events. All of this leads to an even higher quality school district, which leads to higher property values for our residents, and a stronger community.

Board supports recommendation to use remaining Build 220 funds on BHS plumbing and AC

At our August 13 Board meeting, we heard an update from district leaders about Barrington 220's Build 220 initiative, which is nearing completion. Pending any unforeseeable costs that may arise during the remainder of construction, the $147M initiative is projected to be completed on time and under budget by approximately $3 million. In addition, about $3 million has been earned in interest since the bonds were issued. This means there is currently $6 million remaining. By law, these remaining funds must be spent on projects consistent with the referendum question approved by voters in 2020. At our August 13 meeting, we supported the district's recommendation to use the remaining funds to move forward with design work to replace the plumbing at BHS (anticipated to be completed in summer 2025) and install air conditioning in the BHS main gym (anticipated to be completed in summer 2026). Click here to listen to the discussion. 

In his Superintendent's Report at our August 13 Board meeting, Dr. Winkelman shared a few updates about the start of the 2024-25 school year.

Social Media & Digital Devices: This topic has been in the news recently and many school districts in the area have revised their guidelines or are currently reviewing their expectations. As outlined in our district’s strategic plan, Framework 220, one area the district is focusing on this year is social media awareness and digital devices. Click here to view further details.

Early Release Days: As a reminder there will be four early release days for students this school year. These are in addition to the regular Wednesday early release days. This will provide staff with more opportunities to review student data, plan instruction, and engage in professional development. The four early release days for the 2024-25 school year will fall on Aug. 30, Sept. 27, March 20, and April 17. There is no school for the Early Learning Center on these days. Click here to view all school hours for each level.

BHS Parking: Final projects from the district's Build 220 initiative occurred at BHS this summer. Some of these included adding new security vestibules at entrances, reconfiguring the Hart Road parking lot, and altering the vehicle and pedestrian flow and access to the high school campus. Click here to view updated parking maps.

At our August 13 Board meeting, we heard a presentation on the district's tentative FY25 budget. Approximately 88% of Barrington 220's revenue comes from local property taxes. The balance comes from state and federal funding and other local revenues such as registration fees and donations. A public hearing on the proposed budget will take place at the Sept. 3 Board meeting. The final budget is anticipated to be approved on Sept. 17. Click here to view the tentative budget packet. Click here to listen to the presentation.

At our August 13 Board meeting, we discussed the district's facility improvements budget, which is used to fund maintenance and repair projects across district buildings. Barrington 220 has approximately 1.4 million square feet of buildings to maintain, similar to 700 homes! The ages of the buildings vary significantly, ranging from BHS which opened in 1949 to the Early Learning Center which opened in 2010. For many years the district has allocated approximately $3 million annually to address maintenance and repair projects completed during the summer months. In addition, over the past 10 years, the district has spent approximately $4.8 million per year on additional building investments, exclusive of referendum spending. However, since construction and repair cost increases tend to outpace average inflation increases, the district can no longer repair as much as it used to in prior years with the same amount of funding. Therefore, the Board is considering increasing its budget for summer projects. Click here to listen to the discussion.

At our August 13 Board meeting, we heard an update on the district's continued efforts in energy sustainability. For the past two years, the district has been exploring options to install solar panels on the roofs of school buildings. Initially, this would require a financial investment from the district's capital projects fund, however, it would help to greatly reduce energy costs long term. At the meeting, we supported the district's recommendation to purchase and install solar panels at Barrington High School, Prairie Campus, and Station Campus, and we are anticipated to officially approve these projects this fall. This effort in energy sustainability aligns with the district's commitment to Stewardship, which is one of six strategic priorities identified in Barrington 220's strategic plan, Framework 220. Click here to listen to the presentation.

At our August 13 Board meeting, we discussed the possibility of moving up the start time of our regular Board meetings from 6:30pm to 6pm. We are anticipated to vote on this start time change at our regularly scheduled Sept. 3 meeting. If approved, the new start time would take effect at the Sept. 17 Board meeting.