The North Wayne School District has presented plans to close its elementary and middle schools in Mount Erie and Johnsonville and consolidate students into an expanded PK-through-eighth-grade facility in Cisne.
About 200 parents and taxpayers attended a special board meeting Wednesday night to hear details of the estimated $9.6 million project.
Plans call for adding up to 18,000 square feet to Cisne Middle School. The addition would include 10 general classrooms, two specialty classrooms, an expanded lunchroom, secure entrance and a new IHSA-compliant gymnasium seating up to 700 people.
The district has submitted an application to the Illinois State Board of Education through the state’s building-replacement process. If the project moves forward, construction could begin early next year with substantial completion targeted for the summer of 2028.
Much of Wednesday’s discussion centered on finances, taxes and whether consolidation would provide enough long-term savings.
District officials say North Wayne posted annual budget surpluses from fiscal years 2016 through 2024, followed by a $77,000 deficit in fiscal year 2025 and a $252,000 deficit in 2026. Salaries and benefits now account for about 77% of district spending.
Financial projections show continuing to operate four buildings could result in increasingly large annual deficits. By comparison, operating two buildings is projected to produce an approximately $340,000 positive difference in fiscal year 2027, although some scenarios show deficits eventually returning.
Financing estimates presented Wednesday included an annual bond payment of about $567,000. Under one scenario in which the district contributes about $400,000 annually toward that payment, a home with a $100,000 market value could see an estimated tax impact of about $61 per year.
Several residents questioned whether those savings would hold up as inflation and other costs rise, while others urged the district to reduce spending. Concerns were also raised about student academic performance.
Superintendent Adam Ellis and board members stressed that the financial and borrowing figures presented Wednesday are projections and not final costs.