Dist. 211 to relocate adult transition programs

Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 officials have negotiated a lease to relocate two of their Adult Transition Program sites to the former Barrington Orthopedic office building next to Hoffman Estates High School.

The Adult Transition Program helps high school graduates with mild and moderate cognitive impairments continue developing their vocational, life and leisure skills through the age of 22.

The two sites slated to move to the Barrington Orthopedic building at 1030 W. Higgins Road are currently housed in a trailer in the parking lot of Hoffman Estates High School and at a leased facility outside the district's borders but associated with its Academy-South campus.

Other programs that might be moved to the new site in the future are the North Cook Young Adult Academy - which currently leases space at the district's Academy-North campus - and the Bright Hope special education work program.

Making the Barrington Orthopedic building suitable for the district's use will cost an estimated $4.5 million with about a year of renovation work required.

Under the terms of the lease school board members approved Thursday, District 211 will take possession of the long vacant, 26,000-square-foot building on June 1.

The 10-year lease calls for an annual increase in rent, with an option to buy the building at a gradually rising cost throughout that time.

Associate Superintendent for Business Dave Torres said the purchase option is something the board may weigh in the future, but the first priority is the adaptation of the building.

"We want to get in there first," Torres said. "It's helpful to have an option to purchase, but our focus in the next couple years is just to get in there."

The annual rent for the 10 years will be $72,000; $90,000; $102,000; $114,000; $126,000; $129,150; $132,379; $135,688; 139,080; and $142,557.

The total cost of leasing for 10 years would be $1.18 million.

The initial purchase price in the first year would be $1.45 million, but would increase every year up to $2.47 million in the 10th year.

Torres said the lease and purchase options are separate, and that money previously paid for rent won't be credited toward any year's purchase price.