phs boilers

Behind the walls: District 214 invites residents to tour aging schools

D214 Stories

September 3, 2026

High School District 214 will open its school buildings to residents this fall, hosting eight community information sessions ahead of the Nov. 3 referendum.

The series begins Monday, Sept. 14, at Prospect High School and runs through late October. Six evening sessions will be held at 6:30 p.m., one at each of the district's high schools, plus two Saturday morning “Coffee and Conversation” events at the Forest View Educational Center.

A short presentation is followed by a brief tour led by the staff who maintain the building, including spaces the public does not normally see, and open question-and-answer time.

The two Saturday morning sessions at Forest View  begin at 10 a.m. and follow the same presentation and question-and-answer format as the evening sessions. There is no building tour at Forest View.

The tours feature what residents typically don't see. Rather than showcasing classrooms and gyms, they route through boiler rooms, mechanical spaces and the systems that make up most of the proposed work.

On Nov. 3, voters will decide whether to approve $295 million in school building bonds. The Board of Education placed the question on the ballot with a 6-0 vote on Aug. 6. It is the district's first referendum in more than 50 years; the last was in 1971.

Topics at the sessions cover four areas: safety and security, infrastructure, mechanical systems and instructional spaces.

The plan reflects a community engagement process that drew more than 4,500 responses. When residents said earlier concepts were too large and too costly, the district scaled back — the current proposal is less than half the size of where planning began, with pools, new innovative spaces and main entrance renovations removed.

The district estimates the tax impact at about $170 per year for a home costing $396,500, based on a 25-year bond repayment schedule. Actual amounts vary based on assessment changes and district-wide property value growth.

District 214 has spent nearly $200 million on its buildings over the past decade through a capital projects program operating since 1985, funded from reserves.

Evening sessions, all at 6:30 p.m.:

  • Monday, Sept. 14 — Prospect High School, 801 W. Kensington Road, Mount Prospect

  • Tuesday, Sept. 22 — Wheeling High School, 900 S. Elmhurst Road, Wheeling

  • Wednesday, Sept. 23 — Rolling Meadows High School, 2901 W. Central Road, Rolling Meadows

  • Monday, Oct. 5 — Buffalo Grove High School, 1100 W. Dundee Road, Buffalo Grove

  • Thursday, Oct. 8 — Elk Grove High School, 500 W. Elk Grove Blvd., Elk Grove Village

  • Monday, Oct. 12 — John Hersey High School, 1900 E. Thomas St., Arlington Heights

“Coffee and Conversation” sessions, both at 10 a.m.:

  • Saturday, Oct. 17 — Forest View Educational Center, 2121 S. Goebbert Road, Arlington Heights

  • Saturday, Oct. 24 — Forest View Educational Center, 2121 S. Goebbert Road, Arlington Heights

Sessions are open to all district residents regardless of school attendance area. Registration is requested at renew214.org so the district can plan for space. The renew214.org website also carries project lists by school, tax impact details, voting information and a form for submitting questions.

Residents can check voter registration status, early voting locations and vote-by-mail options through the Cook County Clerk and Lake County Clerk offices.