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Barrington 220 board, parents happy with Hough renovation plan

A $946,640 plan to renovate Hough Elementary School that's won the backing of school parents will be sent off for bid after receiving unanimous approval from the Barrington Area Unit School District 220 board of education Tuesday.

The plan calls for the district's extended self-contained gifted program, which has been based at the Barrington school for at least 30 years, to stay there.

Earlier plans called for the program - which gives gifted students advanced instruction in several subjects with the same teacher throughout the day - to be moved to a different elementary school, an option opposed by many parents.

Keeping the gifted program at the school is "so critical" and maintains the Hough community that exists today, parent Betsy Wintringer said.

"Thank all you for traveling with us on this journey," Wintringer told school board members Tuesday. "I think the fact that we've gotten here and have a fantastic solution on the table is a credit to everybody's work."

The board's decision is the culmination of months of work by the district, which tasked a team including Greg Stahler, an architect contracted by the district, Tom Campagna, the district's director of buildings and grounds, and Hough Elementary Principal Jim Aalfs, to come up with dozens of proposals, many of which were presented to and debated by the school board and Hough community.

The school board typically does not get involved in decisions about which school will host district programs, but it made an exception for the gifted program at Hough.

Superintendent Brian Harris said the district has moved programs over space concerns in the past, like last year when some programs were relocated to the Early Learning Center to make room for full-day Kindergarten.

"For next year at this time we have no plans to move extended self-contained program," Harris said Wednesday.

Board member Wendy Farley, who also is a Hough parent, suggested the board have the final say in where the gifted program ends up because the community spoke about it so passionately.

The renovation also will move the school's main office to the front of the building, another request of parents. Hough is the only elementary school in the district not to have its office adjacent to the front entrance, a feature seen as a security enhancement because it allows the staff to see who is coming in and out.

A $767,801 proposal the board chose not to vote on Tuesday would have renovated the main office, but not moved it.

The plan approved Tuesday also adds a second staff restroom, more space for faculty, additional resource rooms and provides an option to add a wheelchair ramp to the building's front entrance.

Aalfs said he is pleased with the decision.

"We're on the road, on the right path," Aalfs said. "I appreciate everyone's hard work and the devotion the board has had to this project."

Board member Penny Kazmier said it likely will take about eight weeks for bids from contractors to come back. The board will look at the bids along with all of the other potential summer projects at a board meeting in April or May, she said.

The renovations are expected to be finished before the start of the 2016-2017 school year.

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