Hinsdale Central High School's Bouchard Center athletic overhaul is shifting from private fundraising to public debt.

Superintendent Chip Pettit said the district is proposing to use part of Hinsdale High School District 86's $82 million bond program to finance the athletic facility improvements, Patch reported. The projects still need school board approval, Pettit said.

"If the private group would like to contribute, that would be great," he said.

That marks a shift from 2025, when a private group approached the district about raising $6 million to renovate the Bouchard Center. Under the original arrangement, the group would raise the construction money through the nonprofit Hinsdale Central Foundation while the district covered design costs, according to Patch's earlier reporting.

The project calls for an expanded athletic training facility, an expanded weight-training area and new restrooms.

Fundraising stalled

The private fundraising effort hit trouble early. At a January finance committee meeting, members said they were uncomfortable recommending a contractor to the board until a large share of the money had been raised. They suggested a threshold of $4.5 million to $4.8 million in pledges.

"Members (noted) that meaningful dollars and formal written pledges are not yet secured," the meeting minutes stated, according to Patch's July coverage.

Pettit said he was unaware how much the Foundation had collected for the Bouchard Center project. The Bouchard Center Transformation website still actively solicits donations, asking alumni, parents and community members to contribute. The group has not returned messages for comment, Patch reported.

$82 million bond program

District 86 is acquiring $82 million in debt to pay for building projects, many of them athletic. About $35 million would go toward "life safety" work, including a new heating plant at Hinsdale Central. The remaining $47 million gives the district flexibility, though Pettit said the district could not afford every project on its list, Patch reported Oct. 28.

For a median-valued home of nearly $570,000, the debt would mean an $83 annual property tax increase, rising $10 each year after that, according to district figures.

The board is set to vote on the debt at its Nov. 17 meeting. The district can issue the bonds without a referendum under tax cap legislation, though residents had until Nov. 2 to file a petition forcing a ballot question. No such effort has been reported.

Pettit also said the administration was prepared to move forward with a comparable project at Hinsdale South High School.

At an Oct. 27 board meeting, board member Bobby Fischer said the district's buildings are "objectively behind where they should be," Patch reported.

Finance committee meets Tuesday

The board's Finance and Facilities Committee is scheduled to meet Tuesday, Nov. 10, for the first time since June. Members are set to discuss priorities for the bond debt. The session begins at 4:30 p.m. at the district's central office, 5500 S. Grant St.

In coverage published in October, The Hinsdalean reported that the two bond sales together would generate about $120 million in debt service over 20 years.