advertisement

District 116 preparing for Round Lake High School upgrade after referendum win

Round Lake Area Unit District 116 is preparing for a high school renovation and expansion now that voters have approved a plan to borrow $29 million for the work.

Tuesday's election result marked a dramatic turnaround for District 116 compared to voter rejection of the same referendum question regarding Round Lake High School last March.

"We're very appreciative to the community for supporting our project," Assistant Superintendent for Business Bill Johnston said.

Plans call for the new-look high school to be ready for the 2016-17 academic year. Round Lake High was built for 1,370 students, but it now houses about 2,100 teenagers, according to school figures.

Unofficial vote totals show the district received permission to borrow the $29 million for the work by a 2,398 to 1,579 margin. Last spring, voters rejected the same question, 800 to 657.

First on the agenda will be more design work. Johnston said the last leg of design will include science, technology, engineering and mathematics laboratories.

After the design is finalized, Johnston said, the district in about two weeks will finish construction documents. It expects to seek bids from qualified companies in mid-March.

Work is scheduled to begin in the summer. The expansion will bring the maximum capacity to 2,288 students.

"One of the nice things about our proposed plan is the three additions to the building won't impact existing classroom space," Johnston said Wednesday.

Under the proposal, the school will have 30 new classrooms, including the four laboratories. Plans also call for a new gymnasium to meet state physical education requirements, new student commons areas, improved building flow and upgraded technology and security.

District 116 spokeswoman Heather Bennett said an improvement on how project facts were presented to the community regarding was key.

"By targeting our parents during open houses and other school events with a formal presentation, a short video and clearly defined informational brochures, as well as making presentations at community meetings, we were able to express the needs on a broader scale," Bennett said.

She said the district brought the information to 34 venues in September and October, allowing for conversation about it among friends and neighbors.

Round Lake High's renovation will come at a cost to property owners through District 116's borrowing of the $29 million and debt restructuring. Officials said they will stabilize the tax rate for 16 years and extend debt by five years at a total cost of about $3,600 more for an owner of a $100,000 house than if the current repayment schedule remained in place.

Johnston said the high school's 12 portable classrooms will be removed when the work is done for the 2016-17 academic season. District 116 owns the trailers and will keep them for the possibility they will be needed at another school.

As mobiles increase, referendum planned for Round Lake High

Dist. 116 trying again on $29 million expansion plan

Details about District 116's referendum question

District 116 voters OK bond issue

  An expansion and renovations are coming to Round Lake High School. Bob Susnjara/bsusnjara@dailyherald.com
  Improved student flow through Round Lake High School will be among the upgrades coming there. Principal Donn Mendoza tried to stay out of the way of students as they changed classes last month. Bob Susnjara/bsusnjara@dailyherald.com
Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.