Mundelein High School officials celebrate construction project
Mundelein High School officials gathered Tuesday to celebrate the pending construction of a $23.7 million addition to the Hawley Street campus.
Joined by architects and builders, school board members and administrators donned hard hats and posed with shovels near where the three-story addition will be built.
The new building will be dedicated to science, technology, engineering and math education, making it a relative specialized rarity on suburban high school campuses. It will feature classrooms, science labs, an area for experiments, offices and other amenities.
"We're hearing more and more emphasis on science, technology, engineering and mathematics, and we're going to be one of the few schools in the area that has facilities created for exactly that type of learning space," Superintendent Kevin Myers said.
Construction began last month but will really kick into gear after classes end May 26.
The new building should be ready by the start of the 2016-17 term.
"It's an important project for the school because they've needed extra classroom space for 15 years," said James McDonough, director of business development for IHC Construction, one of the firms leading the effort. "It'll modernize so many classrooms."
An $8.3 million state grant will cover about 35 percent of the construction project's cost. The state board of education and the state's capital development board are behind the money, which will be delivered quarterly as work is done.
The rest of the cash will come from a loan. A tax-rate increase will not be necessary.
Mundelein High last underwent a significant expansion in 1997. Classrooms and a library were among the new amenities included in that $12.5 million project.