Ball-Chatham voters pass $110M referendum for school upgrades

CHATHAM, Ill. (WAND) - Voters in the Ball-Chatham School District passed a $110 million referendum Tuesday night that will be used for school improvements.

The money will be for improvements to infrastructure and safety updates.

Superintendent Becca Lamon said some of the buildings have gotten so bad that they have struggled to keep classrooms warmer than 50 degrees in the winter.

This was due to schools having issues with the boiler or bad water lines.

"We're asking for our kids to have an environment [where] they have heat. They have the proper electricity to conduct what they're doing that in our science classrooms, the water is turning on, and the gas lines are functioning. Just to improve and promote that everyday academic environment," Lamon said.

The district stated that the true increase for taxpayers will actually be $27 million.

Meaning that a home worth $250,000 will be taxed at $145 annually.