WINCHESTER SCHOOL GYM REFERENDUM: DISTRICT DETAILS $8.5 MILLION PLAN AND TAX ESTIMATES

WINCHESTER, Ill. — Scott County voters now have more specific figures to weigh before the November 3 election, when they will decide whether to authorize up to $8.5 million in bonds for a replacement Winchester High School gymnasium. School officials have been holding town hall meetings in Alsey, Manchester, Glasgow and Winchester to explain the proposal.

Superintendent Jeff Abell has described two paths forward. The proposed referendum would finance a larger, newly equipped gym complex. If voters reject it, the district says a more limited replacement would move forward using $4.6 million in Health/Life Safety borrowing authorized through the Illinois State Board of Education.

Winchester’s previous gym, which was condemned following the discovery of structural damage in January 2025, was torn down this summer. That facility measured about 8,000 square feet and seated approximately 700 spectators. The referendum plan calls for a 9,850-square-foot gym with nine rows of bleachers and seating for around 890, plus about 2,400 square feet of locker-room and office space.

The proposed larger facility would also add a lobby, balcony, bathrooms and a second high school locker room. Abell said the smaller alternative could leave the district with less space and fewer seats than it had before demolition, though a final design for that option has not been announced.

District estimates presented at the meetings indicate that the $8.5 million bond plan, financed over 30 years, would increase annual property taxes by approximately $110.86 on a home valued at $100,000, or roughly $9.24 per month. Those figures are estimates under the assumptions presented by the district, not guaranteed bills for every property owner.

For comparison, the district calculated that $4.6 million in bonds over 20 years would raise annual taxes by about $76.94 for the same illustrative home, while extending that smaller borrowing over 30 years could result in an estimated annual increase of $35.86. Agricultural land would be affected according to its taxable valuation.

Abell also provided estimated construction costs, including general building work, mechanical and electrical systems, contingencies, architects, bleachers and athletic equipment. He said the figures were deliberately set high enough to cover costs when the work goes out for required public bidding, but that the district would continue seeking grants or other funding to reduce expenses.

These figures help define the choices facing voters. Approval would authorize the higher bond ceiling, not establish the final cost of every construction contract. Rejection would not mean no replacement gym, according to the district’s current plan; it would move the project toward the smaller, less fully defined option.

RiverNewsLive presents the school construction cost estimates and options without endorsing either ballot choice. The figures are estimates presented by school officials.