Hadley Junior High expansion will be ready for opening day

Work to build a free-standing addition for special education classrooms at Hadley Junior High School in Glen Ellyn will be completed on time and under budget, officials said.

Assistant Superintendent for Finance, Facilities and Operations Bob Cisarella said the $1.4 million project requires a little bit more touch-up work but will be ready for Glen Ellyn Elementary District 41's first day of school Aug. 25.

He praised construction crews, who made significant progress early after an April 1 groundbreaking and helped avoid any costly delays.

A 22-day construction strike that began June 29 caused some area schools to worry their projects wouldn't be done on time, but that was never a factor in District 41, Cisarella said.

The quick spring start also lessened the impact of heavy rains that pounded DuPage County this summer.

"We already pretty much had the building under roof by the time the rains hit in July," he said. "We were able to get into the ground and put the foundation down for the stormwater vault prior to any rain delay."

That vault will be capable of holding 15,500 cubic gallons of water, which will help alleviate any flooding concerns around the 5,500-square-foot addition.

"It does nothing but help the facility and the neighborhood," Cisarella said.

The new building will be home to three special education classrooms, as well as two handicapped-accessible bathrooms, storage and office space, and a locker area.

A conference room will be set up for special education conferences and a wheelchair ramp will lead to the northern entrance of the red building, which matches another extension of the main structure.

The bulk of the construction money - $750,000 - comes from stimulus funding with an additional $425,000 in developer donations. The balance will be paid from the district's operations fund.

Cisarella said the building's opening will help the school's special education program.

"It's the first time a wing of a building (in the district) has been dedicated specifically for the use of special education students," Cisarella said.