Northern Illinois Districts Put Bonds on November Ballot
Several school districts across northern Illinois are asking voters to approve bond and tax referendums on the November 3, 2026 ballot.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Secondary Education
Live Poll
Would you vote yes on your local school district's bond referendum this November?
Multiple northern Illinois school districts have placed bond and tax referendums on the November 3, 2026 ballot to fund building repairs, expansions and new facilities. Yorkville returned with a scaled-back bond measure after voters rejected a similar referendum in spring 2026.
Why it matters
Districts say they cannot cover large projects through their budgets and reserves alone, so they are borrowing through bond issuance. Statewide, the outcomes will determine how much local property owners pay and which facility plans move forward in Illinois communities.
Several referendums list bond amounts ranging from $7.53 million in the Waltham district to $355.5 million in District 300. Estimated annual tax increases for homeowners were provided by two districts, though the vote results remain unknown.
The players
Community Unit School District 300
A school district based in Algonquin, Illinois, serving communities in the northwest Chicago suburbs.
Oswego Community Unit School District 308
A public school district serving the Oswego area of Kendall County, Illinois.
St. Charles School District
A public school district serving St. Charles, Illinois, in the Fox Valley region.
The details
Districts including Community Unit School District 300, Oswego District 308, St. Charles, Yorkville, Waltham, Chadwick-Milledgeville and Sandwich are asking voters for funding. The LaMoille School Board is asking voters for permission to deactivate LaMoille High School because of declining enrollment, and Boone County voters will weigh an advisory question on limiting school administration spending.
Timeline
Spring 2026: Yorkville voters rejected a similar bond referendum, and an advisory vote in LaMoille passed.
November 3, 2026: School referendums appear on the midterm ballot across northern Illinois.
Season Trajectory
The Yorkville rejection in spring 2026 followed by a scaled-back request this November shows a recurring pattern of Illinois districts revising bond proposals after voters reject them. The wave of referendums on the same ballot shows many districts facing facility needs at the same time.
Homeowners in the affected districts will decide on November 3, 2026 whether to accept higher property taxes for school repairs and new buildings. Estimated increases were provided for District 300 and St. Charles, which may help residents weigh the cost against the facilities being proposed.
The takeaway
Voters in these districts will decide whether to take on new bond debt for facilities, and the Yorkville case shows that a revised request may follow a rejection. Checking your district's referendum amount and estimated tax impact can help you prepare for the November ballot.
Further reading
For more on how these local decisions fit into school funding debates, explore Secondary Education coverage.
Live Poll
Would you vote yes on your local school district's bond referendum this November?
