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Barrington High academic boosters want to improve library

A private organization plans to seek $75,000 in donations to help upgrade Barrington High School's library.

Barrington Area Unit District 220 board member Penny Kazmier said the fundraising effort is being formed by the high school Parent Teacher Organization's academic boosters. The group has donated money raised from private sources for previous improvements at Barrington High.

This year's fundraising initiative has a $75,000 goal to pay for new furniture at the high school library, Kazmier said during a District 220 facilities committee session this week.

Matthew Fuller, the district's assistant superintendent for technology and innovation, said furniture "would be a great place to start" in improving the school's library. Fuller and other district officials said the library also needs more open space.

"The high school library needs a huge amount of work to make it more student-friendly, more of a student space," he said.

District 220 officials did not object to a request from the PTO's academic boosters to allow donor plaques to be placed on the library's walls.

Barrington High School's renovated student commons area was a significant project funded by the PTO's academic boosters ahead of the 2015-16 academic season. At the time, officials announced the boosters donated $74,000 for the work to convert the old commons into a modern, collaborative area with stylish furniture and wall murals.

Potential renovations at all district schools to meet new education needs are being studied as part of an initiative called Blueprint 220. Chicago-based DLR Group is helping the district to form a long-term strategy that will have recommendations on facility improvements.

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