Here’s a Look at What’s on Local Ballots on March 17
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Date PostedFebruary 18, 2026
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CategoryNews
School districts throughout Illinois are seeking approval from voters on referendums on the March 17 general primary election ballot. Items up for a vote include bond issues, tax increases, countywide sales tax propositions, a high school deactivation, and an advisory question on opting into a federal program.
School districts known to be placing local bond issues before voters include:
School districts placing tax increases on the ballot include Cornell CCSD 426, Greenview CUSD 200, Pearl City CUSD 200, PORTA CUSD 202, School District 45 (Villa Park), and Thomasboro CCSD 130.
There are three Countywide Sales Tax propositions on the ballot. Voters will decide on a countywide 1% sales tax increase for school facilities, school resource officers, and mental health professionals in Crawford, Livingston, and Winnebago counties. In addition, voters in Randolph County will decide on an addition to a previously approved countywide 1% increase to also authorize use of the revenues for school resource officers and mental health professionals.
Voters in La Moille CUSD 303 will vote on a nonbinding question about deactivation of the district’s high school and negotiating enrollment agreements with one or more neighboring high school districts.
Voters in numerous counties will also vote on a nonbinding advisory question: “Should Illinois opt into a federal program that would provide Public K-12, private school and homeschool students with privately-donated funds for academic needs, such as tutoring and test preparation, educational therapies for students with disabilities, tuition, books, exam fees or other specified academic needs?” This question is on the ballot in: Bond, Carroll, Christian, Clark, Clay, Coles, Cook (Orland and Palos townships only), Crawford, Cumberland, DeWitt, Edgar, Effingham, Grundy, Jo Daviess, Lake (Cuba and Shields townships only), Lee, Logan, Madison, Massac, McDonough, McHenry, Moultrie, Ogle, Randolph, Shelby, Wayne, Williamson, and Winnebago counties.
IASB will report results of school referenda after the March 17 general primary election. To see historical information from past elections, visit the Finance Election data page on the IASB website.
School districts known to be placing local bond issues before voters include:
- Ball-Chatham CUSD 5, $110 million, to alter, repair, and equip school buildings and facilities.
- Deerfield SD 109, $87.78 million, to build and equip additions to multiple buildings in the district.
- Pennoyer SD 79, $14 million, to alter, repair, and equip the existing school building, including building and safety improvements, playground updates, and kitchen and cafeteria renovations.
- Pontiac-William Holliday SD 105, $75.1 million, to build and equip a new school building, including classrooms, STEM labs, cafeteria, gym, and a library/media center.
- Shelbyville CUSD 4, $40 million, to build and equip a new elementary building, as well as alter, repair, renovate, and equip portions of existing facilities throughout the district.
- Sunset Ridge SD 29, $23.5 million, to repair, replace, alter, and equip a school building, including improving safety and security measures, and to increase student accessibility to educational and outdoor spaces.
- Yorkville CUSD 115, $275.1 million, to build and equip two new school buildings, in addition to building and equipping additions to the Yorkville High School building.
School districts placing tax increases on the ballot include Cornell CCSD 426, Greenview CUSD 200, Pearl City CUSD 200, PORTA CUSD 202, School District 45 (Villa Park), and Thomasboro CCSD 130.
There are three Countywide Sales Tax propositions on the ballot. Voters will decide on a countywide 1% sales tax increase for school facilities, school resource officers, and mental health professionals in Crawford, Livingston, and Winnebago counties. In addition, voters in Randolph County will decide on an addition to a previously approved countywide 1% increase to also authorize use of the revenues for school resource officers and mental health professionals.
Voters in La Moille CUSD 303 will vote on a nonbinding question about deactivation of the district’s high school and negotiating enrollment agreements with one or more neighboring high school districts.
Voters in numerous counties will also vote on a nonbinding advisory question: “Should Illinois opt into a federal program that would provide Public K-12, private school and homeschool students with privately-donated funds for academic needs, such as tutoring and test preparation, educational therapies for students with disabilities, tuition, books, exam fees or other specified academic needs?” This question is on the ballot in: Bond, Carroll, Christian, Clark, Clay, Coles, Cook (Orland and Palos townships only), Crawford, Cumberland, DeWitt, Edgar, Effingham, Grundy, Jo Daviess, Lake (Cuba and Shields townships only), Lee, Logan, Madison, Massac, McDonough, McHenry, Moultrie, Ogle, Randolph, Shelby, Wayne, Williamson, and Winnebago counties.
IASB will report results of school referenda after the March 17 general primary election. To see historical information from past elections, visit the Finance Election data page on the IASB website.
