Facility needs rarely come at an ideal time for school districts. A roof leak from summer storms leads to water intrusion that threatens the building itself. A heating or ventilation system that “made it through last winter” fails, creating immediate occupancy and safety concerns. Or lack of accessibility becomes a limiting factor to an individual, pushing the district to bring an older building up to today’s standards. In Illinois, those pressures are rising as districts work to protect students and avoid disruption to learning, while maintaining trust and transparency with the community.
That’s why Public Act 103-0591, enacted in 2024, has received plenty of attention – it updated how Illinois school districts can access Health & Life Safety (HLS) funding. In many cases, the law allows eligible work to move forward without the referendum process that districts historically relied on. It is not a new funding stream, and it is not a shortcut. However, it can be a meaningful lever for districts that understand its role and approach implementation with thoughtful planning.
At Wold Architects & Engineers, we’ve helped plan, secure funding for and execute HLS work for decades. Now, more Illinois school districts are treating the HLS process as a viable option for addressing more significant facility needs, and learning that success comes down to clarity, documentation and timing.
HLS is sometimes described as “emergency only,” and that framing causes districts to both under- and overestimate what qualifies. The intent of HLS is evaluating systems that have reached a condition of disrepair, end-of-life or can no longer be maintained to provide the necessary improvements.
Qualifying work often includes core life safety needs (notification, egress and fire prevention-related items) as well as critical building systems and infrastructure that keep occupants safe and facilities operational. Things like roofing failures or water intrusion can threaten structural integrity, and, left unchecked, can become far more disruptive and costly.
HLS can also include categories that the state recognizes as critical, even if those specifications weren’t required when older buildings were constructed. These projects could include accessibility improvements, certain security upgrades and paving, in applicable cases. The boundary matters: HLS is not a catch-all for comfort upgrades or wishlist scope. The districts that are the most successful with securing approval and funding are the ones that align a project’s scope with the qualifying criteria, and that can follow-through with the appropriate documentation.
Public Act 103-0591 updated how Illinois school districts can levy taxes and issue bonds to fund projects identified through the HLS process. For many districts, that means the board can now approve an HLS bond as a non-referendum borrowing alternative, and the levy may not be limited by the property tax cap in the same way it was before.
That said, the fastest way to misunderstand this law is to treat it as “free money” or a state-funded solution. It isn’t. HLS remains a locally funded initiative with a real tax impact. The law changes access and mechanics, not who ultimately pays.
HLS is still subject to eligibility requirements and state review. Districts do not get to define “Health & Life Safety” on their own terms. Projects must fit the program, documentation must be completed and approval is still required through the state’s process.
Access to Fire Prevention funding is now aligned with the intent of the HLS process, and more districts are submitting amendments as a result. The state is responding with more detailed reviews, and approvals are taking longer as officials work to confirm that projects meet eligibility requirements and protect taxpayers.
Districts should plan for a longer runway than they may be used to. After a survey and submission are complete, state review can take several months. When you add the time required to walk buildings, document conditions, develop compliant solutions and prepare cost information, the full process often spans six months to a year from start to finish.
That timeline matters most for districts aiming to complete work in a summer construction window. The updated process can remove barriers for funding projects, but it does not eliminate the steps required to move from identified needs to state-approved HLS amendments. Starting earlier is often what determines whether the work happens on schedule.
HLS surveys are a technical process, not a paperwork exercise. Using licensed architects and engineers, districts must evaluate each building on a 10-year cycle to document conditions, identify needs and support long-term planning. If issues arise between those cycles, districts can also file an amendment to address them sooner.
With engineering in-house, Wold leads this work from start to finish by completing the assessments, documenting conditions, developing possible solutions, establishing budget expectations and preparing and submitting the required materials to the state under professional licensure.
The work is detailed and time-intensive. Teams walk every space in each building, typically during summer, winter break or other non-instructional periods, to avoid disrupting learning and to ensure assessments are clearly understood. The goal is to identify risks early and address them before they escalate into more serious safety or operational issues.
Beyond the assessment itself, Wold helps district leaders make strategic decisions about funding and phasing. While this pathway is now more accessible, no single funding mechanism fits every situation. We work with districts to evaluate whether fire prevention funding is the right tool for their priorities, how it aligns with other funding sources and how to phase the work so projects move forward efficiently without creating unintended challenges later.
Many Illinois districts are taking a closer look at this funding approach as they evaluate how to address ongoing facility needs. In practice, it can provide a more workable path for advancing essential infrastructure and safety projects, particularly those that are difficult to move forward with traditional funding methods. The districts that see the strongest outcomes are those that approach HLS as a disciplined planning process rather than a one-off solution.
That process starts with clear questions: Do the proposed projects meet HLS eligibility requirements? What is the tax impact and long-term cost of borrowing? How does the timeline align with construction windows, particularly summer work? And what level of documentation will the state expect during review? These considerations shape scope, schedule and feasibility from the outset.
For districts assessing facility needs and funding options, Wold helps turn questions into clear next steps. A facilities review provides an objective assessment of eligibility, priorities and timing, giving district leaders the information they need to move forward with confidence. Contact Wold’s Illinois education team to schedule a facilities review and discuss how Health & Life Safety funding may apply to your buildings.
