Almost $4 million of renovations at two Des Plaines schools

Two Elk Grove Township Elementary District 59 schools just blocks from each other in Des Plaines will be renovated next summer.

An estimated $3 million building addition and renovations are planned at Devonshire Elementary, 1401 S. Pennsylvania Ave., that will move the school's main office to the front of the school.

The existing school office is the smallest of all main offices in District 59. It also includes the nurse's office, which district officials say doesn't serve students in an effective and efficient way.

The new office will create a secure entrance for visitor screening, according to the district. The old office is being converted into classroom space.

Another $1 million in work at Devonshire next summer is expected to include new HVAC units, flooring and glazing. In 2018, the district is planning a $1.5 million roof replacement and $275,000 parking lot replacement.

At Friendship Junior High, 550 Elizabeth Lane, some classroom walls will be rebuilt and new entrances added in an effort to cut down on sound getting from one classroom to the next. Currently, some classrooms are configured where students must pass through one room to gain access to another.

The new classroom entrances will be created by adding new hallways - a project expected to cost $750,000.

The school board's facility advisory committee toured both schools, and the full board Monday approved resolutions sanctioning the work at Friendship and the initial $3 million project at Devonshire. Additional 2017 Devonshire upgrades will be considered by the board in December.