A 1% school facilities sales tax will take effect in McLean County on July 1, after voters approved the April 1 ballot measure 17,415 to 15,427—earning just over 53% support, according to election results.

Voter turnout reached 28% across Bloomington and McLean County—an eight-point jump from typical municipal election years.

For Community, the sales tax will help address over $18 million in long-needed repairs and upgrades.

In March, Superintendent Dr. Kristen Weikle said Community leads Unit 5 in infrastructure needs, with every project on the school’s repair list marked “red,” the district’s highest urgency rating.

Among those projects: replacing one failed boiler and another on the brink, upgrading aging cooling towers and rebuilding the school’s track, which may soon fall short of IHSA safety standards.

Without the tax, Weikle said, Unit 5 would have to borrow money for summer projects, potentially adding millions in interest payments.

The referendum’s passage gives the district a way to fund those repairs directly—while also committing $5 million annually to property tax relief, according to a February resolution passed by the school board.

For more context on how the tax will fund repairs, mental health resources and safety upgrades—read our full coverage here.