Facility Referendum


Thank you for your desire to learn more about the Fenton High School facilities referendum. This webpage is intended to generate engagement by providing important information about our community-driven plan to modernize and expand the school our residents cherish. Please take advantage of all opportunities to visit the building and ask questions.

It's important to note: this webpage will be updated as the process continues and more developments occur. Visiting the school and being immersed in the topics seen on this webpage is still highly recommended.

If you would like to become more familiar with the day-to-day happenings at Fenton, please click here to view our Weekly Newsletter webpage. Otherwise, please keep reading to learn more about our referendum.


Our Fenton High School District 100 community works together to ensure all our students become successful, passionate, empowered learners, but there’s one significant obstacle we just can’t overcome: the lack of space in our aging school building. 

February 23 Flooding in the Auditorium
We make do with what we have in our 1950s building, but our second-rate facilities are keeping our students from reaching their full potential.

Our infrastructure has been extended well beyond its useful life. Mechanical systems, plumbing, and electrical systems need to be addressed to keep the building safe and healthy. Our classrooms and learning areas are small and outdated. Our security system needs improvements. Flooding at building entries continues to be problematic. Fenton’s athletic, music facilities and auditorium are sub-par and old. Air flow is inconsistent with some kids sweating in one room and others freezing in another, and the smell in our science and social studies wing is notorious.

This holds our students and teachers back in academics and extracurriculars. It creates significant safety concerns for everyone in our school. It packs our students into classrooms that were too small even before the pandemic made the need for more space and cleaner air even more urgent. And some of our sports teams can’t even host home games or tournaments.



Fenton won the 2019 Pepsi Co Tournament Cup


 

Our kids deserve better.

That’s why our community came together in a comprehensive community engagement process over the past year. Working together and sharing our ideas and passions, we created a roadmap for the future of Fenton.

Fenton PUPS Preschool


The result of that work was a $129.7 million plan, but we heard from the community in this last election that with the current economy, that cost was too much. So we’ve identified cost reductions and the district is committing $10 million in reserves, which has lowered the cost of the plan to a more affordable $99 million.


December 4 Public Engagement Forum


The community-driven $99 million plan to renovate, modernize, and expand Fenton High School will now appear on our ballots to approve as a referendum in the upcoming election on November 8th, 2022. If the referendum is successful, we will be able to:

• Renovate Our School to Make it Safer for Students and Teachers

• Improve Our Programming and Career Learning Spaces

• Modernize Our Classrooms for 21st Century Learning.


2019 Facilities Assessment involved working with teachers and staff to evaluate the building.


Infrastructure in classroomsWe can create an even safer and more secure environment in our school building through updated security systems, door and window monitoring, electronic door locks, and a storm shelter. We will also be able to better maintain our schools by addressing life safety and infrastructure needs such as mechanical systems, air flow, plumbing, bathrooms, sprinklers, electrical, emergency power, networking & cabling, corridors, asbestos abatement, drainage, stormwater management, and ADA compliance.

We will improve our programming and career learning spaces so each and every student continues to have the opportunity to succeed in anything they choose. We’ll provide increased opportunities for students through optimized and dedicated spaces for STEM, applied tech, culinary, construction, health sciences, bio med, special education, and life skills programming.



Physical Education Lockeroom



 And we will be able to modernize and expand our classrooms. This will give us 21st century learning spaces with modern features to effectively implement current and future curriculum, facilitate collaboration, and allow for more individual and small group instruction. Additional and larger classrooms will provide more space for student collaboration, small group instruction, curriculum growth to include more engaging student activities, and student health and movement.


Science equipment and storage.


With improved and safer facilities, our students will perform better. They’ll have the newfound sense of pride that comes with attending a school with 21st century learning environments, just like other students in DuPage County. They’ll reach their full potential through blended learning, STEM, extracurriculars, and sports. They’ll have more opportunities to follow their passion, graduating healthier, more well-rounded, and ready for high-wage careers.

Students using science equipment from corporate partner


If these are the futures we want for our children, we must act now. Every year, the improvements needed at our school become more expensive, and this runs contrary to our efforts to make our district more fiscally responsible. We’ve taken important steps to control spending and ensure as much money as possible goes into classrooms and students. Fenton has the lowest bond and interest fund tax rate among high school districts in DuPage County and an overall tax rate that is significantly lower than the state average.

Fenton's 2021 Homecoming Queen and King.



Our kids deserve the same opportunities provided by other districts in DuPage County. This plan we developed together will provide safer, 21st century learning spaces for all our students.




Fenton PUPS Preschool










Fenton High School is more than happy to respond to questions from our community.


Fenton Referendum Questions

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Security Measure








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