In December 2020, Unit 9 applied for a BRIC 2020 matching grant to help fund the development of a K-12 campus. In April 2021, voters overwhelmingly approved a referendum to provide the local matching funds for the grant. Unit 9 recently learned that we were not awarded the BRIC 2020 grant. However, the grant application for the demolition of Nettie Davis school is still pending. The district is committed to meeting the community’s expectations for updated facilities by exploring all possible options including gathering feedback on the previous grant application, revising the grant application, submitting an application for the BRIC 2021 grant, and exploring other funding options. At this point in time, the district will not bond for the money approved in the referendum. The district has five years from the date of the April referendum to issue bonds as approved by the voters. If the district is awarded one of the future grants, the district will issue bonds at that time to supply the matching funds needed to receive the grants. Unit 9 remains optimistic about the future of our facilities. We want to thank the community for supporting Unit 9 and will continue to provide updates. We are dedicated to our mission and vision of being a leader in educational excellence in which each student can learn and grow, all while remaining fiscally responsible to our taxpayers