Skip to main content

Future 113A - November 2026 Election

Planning for the Future of SD113A

Strong schools are the heart of a strong community. As our school community continues to grow, Lemont-Bromberek Combined School District 113A continues to take a conservative and methodical approach to prepare for and address increasing enrollment. While we are grateful that so many families want to experience the excellent education District 113A provides, enrollment growth is exceeding expectations and further steps are needed to prepare for the future.

Over the past several years, SD113A has experienced record enrollment growth, driven by: 

  • Successful schools and community
  • Turnover of existing homes to young families
  • Migration from private and parochial schools 
  • New housing developments 

Despite multiple planning efforts — including three demographic studies (2017, 2024, 2026) — actual enrollment has exceeded even the highest projections.

Over the past two years, SD113A has engaged in a thoughtful and comprehensive planning process to plan for the future. Through our strategic planning work, facility assessments, and multiple enrollment studies, we have worked to better understand the challenges created by continued enrollment growth and to establish priorities for our schools.

At their August 2026 meeting, the SD113A Board of Education unanimously approved a recommendation to place Limiting Rate Referendum Question on the ballot for the November 3, 2026 Election.

Ask a Question

Have a question about the limiting rate referendum and the challenges facing SD113A? 

Submit your question via our Google Form

A teacher greets a line of smiling elementary school students in a hallway.

Resources

Navigate the Page

 

Attend a Community Meeting to Learn More

Dr. Orzel and district leaders will be sharing information with the community at upcoming informational sessions.

  • Monday,  Aug. 31 – 9 a.m. at the Lemont Library
  • Monday, Sept. 14 – 6 p.m. at the Lemont Township Community Center
  • Tuesday, Oct. 6 – 6 p.m at the Lemont Township Community Center

*Please continue to check the page for additional dates and times that may be added. 

Historic Enrollment Growth

Enrollment has grown by nearly 26% over the past decade, with even faster growth in recent years, increasing demand for staffing, transportation, and student support services.

Enrollment has now exceeded its previous historic peak.

A chart showing the enrollment trends for SD113A

Rising Enrollment. Limited Capacity.

A Commitment To High-Quality Learning Environments

District 113A is focused on a long-term funding solution that: 

  • Supports student growth and achievement 
  • Continues to provide safe, engaging learning environments
  • Reduces class sizes as enrollment increases and preserves academic programs, transportation, and student support services, and extracurricular offerings 
  • Supports the recruitment and retention of high-quality teachers and staff  
  • Limits the impact on taxpayers 
  • Strengthens property values by maintaining quality schools 

HOWEVER, as growth continues, we are seeing: 

  • Increasing class sizes 
  • Learning spaces repurposed (LRC and multipurpose rooms are now classrooms)
  • Small group instruction occurring in hallways and corridors 
  • Staff and students sharing instructional spaces

Students sit at tables in a brightly decorated classroom

District 113A has been planning for and managing increasing enrollment. Three enrollment studies were completed over the last 10 years (2017, 2024 and again in 2026) to continue to monitor growth.

Actual growth last year was more than 500 students over what was projected in 2017 and exceeded what was anticipated from the 2024 study.


Bar chart showing student enrollment growth exceeding projections.

 

Options Considered To Support Increasing Enrollment

To address current and future capacity needs, District 113A has evaluated short and long term facility expansion solutions including: 

  • Classroom additions at all existing schools 
  • Use of modular (temporary) classrooms 
  • Reclaiming district-owned facilities
  • Building a new school 

Steps Already Taken

SD113A has worked for years to manage growth: 

  • Reopened Central School for the 2022-23 school year
  • Repurposed internal spaces (LRCs, shared rooms) 
  • Adjusted staffing to meet enrollment 
  • Explored reacquisition of district-owned property 
  • Conducted multiple demographic studies 
  • Participated in Village Technical Review Committee processes 
  • Acquired adjacent property to expand parking at Central

A group of students with backpacks walks towards a yellow school bus.

 

Planning a Path Forward

While a variety of options have been considered, the plan going forward is to build additions onto each of our four school buildings to support our growing community. 

Planning and forecasting has been going on for years, and after reviewing a variety of future options, a limiting rate referendum emerged as the preferred option to support increasing enrollment. 

An Illinois limiting rate referendum is a ballot measure that allows local taxing districts to increase their property tax caps beyond the standard limits set by the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law. If approved, these funds can be used for facility updates or expansion, expanding services or hiring staff, or other uses that support the ongoing operations of the district. 

The SD113A Board of Education unanimously approved the addition of a ballot question to the November 3, 2026 general election for voter consideration. 

Details of Proposed Limiting Rate Referendum

To reduce class sizes as enrollment increases and preserve academic programs, transportation, and student support services, District 113A placed a 36-cent limiting rate referendum on the November 2026 ballot. 

If approved, the limiting rate increase would generate an estimated $6,000,000 annually. 

Calculate Your Tax Impact

A table displays estimated tax impacts for different home values in Cook and DuPage counties.

Estimates for the operating portion of the SD113A tax bill. Does not include property taxes paid for other District purposes and to other governments (e.g. village, park district, county, forest preserve, etc.). Actual tax rates and payments may vary based on District-wide EAV growth, individual homeowner reassessment, State Law changes, property tax rate initiatives and other factors.

 

Anticipated Outcomes

If approved, funds would be used to address high-priority facility expansion and operating needs, including: 

  • Building additions onto all of the current facilities 
  • Reducing class sizes as enrollment continues to increase 
  • Safeguarding academic programs and curriculum updates 
  • Sustaining student support services 
  • Protecting transportation services 
  • Preserving extracurricular opportunities 
  • Reducing need for reactive budget cuts 
  • Protecting property values

Frequently Asked Questions

A collection of questions about the proposal and the situation are below. Click on a question to reveal the answer.

Have a question that you don’t see? Use the Google Form to submit a question.

  • If the proposal is approved by voters, the district would be able to generate $6 million annually, giving the District the ability to create additional classroom spaces at each of our four schools while other funds will be used to staff, maintain, and support these additional classrooms in order to keep class sizes reasonable. The timeline for planning and construction would be developed quickly but could take up to two years to build the additions onto each building. Please refer to the presentation linked at the top of the webpage for more details.

     

  • If the proposal is not approved, SD113A would continue to face challenges due to rapidly growing enrollment and space constraints. While the district values keeping class sizes reasonable, there would be a need to increase class sizes at most grade levels. The district would also have to make decisions around potential programming cuts in order to have more dedicated classrooms. Additionally, larger spaces in the schools like Library Resource Centers or dedicated specials’ classrooms may need to be transformed into general education classrooms with those programs either becoming mobile (on carts) or being eliminated.

  • The financial challenges District 113A faces today are not the result of overspending. Compared with peer districts, District 113A operates with a lower tax rate, lower per-pupil spending, and lower State funding, clear evidence of long-standing fiscal discipline and careful resource management. Many peer districts have tax rates significantly higher than District 113A’s, receive substantially more State Evidence-Based Funding per student, and spend significantly more per pupil each year, underscoring the District’s sustained commitment to fiscal responsibility.

    Tax Rate Comparison 

    Tax Rate comparison

    113A 1.968
    Downers Grove GSD 58 2.237
    Hinsdale CCSD 181 2.465
    Center Cass SD 66 2.610
    CCSD 180 2.704
    Palos 128 2.851
    Maercker SD 60 2.921
    Cass SD 63 2.930
    Will County SD 92 2.939
    Palos CCSD 118 3.037
    Homer CCSD 33C 3.653
    North Palos SD 117 3.925
    Woodridge SD 68 3.949
    CCSD 146 4.580
    Lisle CUSD 202 4.862

    Many peer districts have tax rates up to 45% higher than District 113A’s, receive substantially more State Evidence-Based Funding per student, and spend at  least 30% more per pupil each year,  underscoring the District’s sustained  commitment to fiscal responsibility.

  • The financial challenges District 113A faces today are not the result of overspending. Compared with peer districts, District 113A operates with a lower tax rate, lower per-pupil spending, and lower State funding, clear evidence of longstanding fiscal discipline and careful resource management. Many peer districts have tax rates significantly higher than District 113A’s, receive substantially more State Evidence-Based Funding per student, and spend significantly more per pupil each year, underscoring the District’s sustained commitment to fiscal responsibility.

    Bar chart showing FY24 instructional spending per pupil for various districts

    Instructional Per Pupil Spending Comparison 

    113A $8,054
    Homer 33C $8,879
    Cass SD 63 $9,459
    Maercker SD 60 $9,916
    Palos 118 $9,961
    Center Cass 66 $10,078
    Palos 128 $10,279
    North Palos 117 $10,375
    Darien SD 61 $10,601
    Gower SD 62 $10,936
    DG 58 $11,096
    Woodridge SD 68 $11,733
    State $11,785
    Will County SD 92 $12,486
    Hinsdale 181 $14,066
    Lisle SD 202 $14,788
    Burr Ridge 180 $15,050

    Spending comparison

    Operational Per Pupil Spending Comparison 

    113A $13,537
    Homer 33C $15,499
    Palos 128 $15,681
    Palos 118 $15,867
    Center Cass 66 $15,919
    North Palos 117 $16,486
    Darien SD 61 $16,845
    Cass SD 63 $17,278
    Maercker SD 60 $17,999
    Woodridge SD 68 $18,416
    Gower SD 62 $19,070
    DG 58 $19,593
    State $20,129
    Hinsdale 181 $22,402
    Will County SD 92 $22,670
    Lisle SD 202 $25,138
    Burr Ridge CCSD 180 $28,233
  • In Illinois education, the "limiting rate" is the maximum property tax rate a school district can levy for funds subject to the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law (PTELL). It acts as a revenue control mechanism, capping a district's annual property tax extensions to the lesser of 5% or the rate of inflation (CPI).

  • District 113A is placing a limiting rate referendum on the November 2026 ballot. If approved, the limiting rate increase would generate an estimated $6,000,000 annually. Please refer to the tax calculator at the top of the webpage to calculate your home’s tax impact.

    A table displays estimated tax impacts for different home values in Cook and DuPage counties.

  • SD113A has proactively worked to manage growth:

    • Reopened Central School for the 2022-23 school year
    • Repurposed internal spaces (LRCs, shared rooms)
    • Adjusted staffing to meet increasing enrollment
    • Explored reclaiming district-owned property
    • Conducted multiple demographic studies
    • Participated in Village Technical Review Committee processes
    • Acquired adjacent property to expand parking at Central
       
  • To address current and future capacity needs, SD113A has evaluated short and long term facility expansion solutions including:

    • Classroom additions at all existing schools
    • Use of modular (temporary) classrooms
    • Reclaiming district-owned facilities
    • Building a new school
  • We currently do not have available classroom space at our four schools to be able to handle current and projected enrollment increases.

     

  • SD113A is a good steward of taxpayer dollars, and when facing challenges with space, opted for the most cost-effective solution for facilities, which is adding onto current buildings. We considered building a new building; however, the cost was the highest of the options. Additionally, other districts have utilized a similar option and found that enrollment numbers didn’t increase to those levels, resulting in school closures, which we want to avoid for our taxpayers.

    Our facilities were built to last and are well-maintained, but the challenges of simply not having enough space to serve our growing student population require the district to look into other options. Additionally, this proposal ensures that not only will we create extra spaces, but we will have the funds to staff those spaces and keep class sizes reasonable while maintaining our commitment to excellence in programming. 

     

  • Yes. SD113A is partnering with architects to determine the priorities for this proposal which will include renderings of planned additions and renovations. There is not a need to purchase additional land at this time, but the district is closely watching properties around schools with future growth in mind. 

     

  • In 2022-2023, the District reopened Central School as part of its plan to address increasing enrollment and reduce class sizes. That plan accomplished its intended goal and provided additional classroom space across the District.

    Since that time, however, enrollment has continued to grow. Approximately 300 additional students have enrolled in the District since Central reopened, creating new space needs that were not present in 2022-2023. The District has continued to monitor this growth through multiple independent enrollment studies, including the most recent study in 2026. 

    As enrollment has increased, the District has taken a measured approach—using existing space efficiently, making adjustments within its schools, and continuing to monitor enrollment before considering larger facility investments.

    Based on current enrollment and projections, additional classroom space is now needed to maintain reasonable class sizes and provide appropriate learning environments for students. Rather than constructing a new school, which is estimated to cost approximately $65–70 million or more, the District is proposing additions to its existing school campuses. This approach is intended to address current and projected enrollment needs while making use of the District’s existing facilities and infrastructure.

  • Election Day is Tuesday,  Nov. 3 with early voting beginning on Monday, Oct. 19. and ending on Monday, Nov. 2.

    You must be registered to vote and reside in SD113A to participate in the Limiting Rate Referendum Election. 

    Get more information about the voting process from the links below: