Like it or not, the Normal-based Unit 5 school district is growing and will continue to grow. You can't put a "no vacancy" sign on the schoolhouse door. You can't increase class sizes beyond a certain point without hurting the quality of education.

Schools in the Normal-based Unit 5 district aren't bursting at the seams - but they are getting close.

The district already is using five portable classroom buildings, with two classrooms in each, to relieve crowding. It already has turned some commons areas and rooms intended for subjects such as music into general education areas.

The school board wants to address the problem by issuing bonds to build two new elementary schools and one new middle school while also doubling the size of Sugar Creek Elementary, renovating eight elementary schools and making security and technology improvements in all 15 elementary schools.

The entire building/renovation project is estimated at $96.7 million.

The board is asking voters to approve issuing bonds for the building project. It is also seeking approval of an education fund rate increase of 10 cents per $100 assessed valuation to cover rising operational costs.

For the owner of a $200,000 house, this will amount to a total increase of roughly $170 - $114 for the building bonds and $56 for the education fund increase. The owner of such a house in Unit 5 now pays about $2,943 a year in school taxes.

We recognize this increase is far from insignificant, especially when we consider the rising costs people face every day for basic needs, such as utilities, fuel, health care and groceries.

We also recognize the district's needs are significant and basic, so it is our responsibility to make sure the next generation of students and teachers is well prepared.

Both referendum questions deserve "yes" votes on Feb. 5.

From its current enrollment of 12,460, the district is projecting an enrollment of over 16,000 by 2015.

Some critics have scoffed at that projection, saying growth is slowing or will slow in the Twin Cities. However, similar things were said before the March 2000 referendum when school officials projected enrollment would grow to 13,000 by 2010. With two years to go, the district is less than 600 students away from meeting that projection.

Renovating eight older schools is a sound investment in those buildings and in the students who attend them and will be attending them in the future. Students in the same district shouldn't be placed at an academic disadvantage because newer schools have better equipment and resources.

The Unit 5 school board has been fiscally responsible. The district has implemented a number of cost-saving measures in the last five years. These have included a two-year freeze of base pay for all employees, increased class sizes and reduction in administrative and custodial/maintenance staff.

If the state provided a bigger share of education funding, property taxes wouldn't bear such a heavy burden. But there has been no sign of that changing in the near future.

Many taxpayers have been upset by projects over which they had no binding vote, such as the U.S. Cellular Coliseum in Bloomington and additional buildings at Heartland Community College.

But if you are upset with state government, the city of Bloomington or Heartland, don't take it out on Unit 5.

Judge Unit 5's request on its own merits. If you do, we believe you will see the tax increase is justified.

The Pantagraph Editorial Board endorses "yes" votes in the building bond and education rate referendums.