Lake Zurich school opening delayed again

The academic year won't start Tuesday for May Whitney Elementary School students because classrooms are not ready.

Lake Zurich Unit District 95 also canceled Friday's "Meet the Principal" event.

District spokesman Jim Jennings said Wednesday more work is needed to prepare the Annex building for the roughly 436 students and 40 staff members.

Classes have begun at the district's eight other schools. It has been two weeks since officials closed May Whitney after flooding led to the discovery of asbestos and mold.

The Annex, a former middle school next door at 100 Church St., has sat vacant for 18 months since Gavin Elementary District 37 briefly leased the building for the 2005-06 school year.

Maintenance crews have patched roof leaks and removed wet carpeting at the Annex. They also have replaced the emergency lighting, checked mechanical, electrical and phone systems, and tried to make the building more suitable for elementary students.

Work remaining includes preparing classrooms, moving heavy school equipment from May Whitney into the building and removing items stored at the Annex for years.

Volunteers, including members of the parent-teacher organizations of all nine schools, have helped.

"The community has really stepped up, but you are talking about a very short timeline to effectively open a new school," Jennings said.

The Lake County Regional Office of Education is likely to inspect the Annex today and approve an occupancy permit for the entire school year.

Analysis of air quality samples at the Annex to check for high concentrations of mold spores is pending, and results are expected by Friday. If they are positive, more testing may be needed, the district's mold expert has said.

"We know that there's going to be continued work that needs to go on during the school year," Jennings said. "But right now we're talking about just getting the basic readiness, what's needed for the school to be open and for learning to occur."

District officials expect to have a definitive start date for classes and for the next "Meet the Principal" event by Friday. For updates on the progress, visit District 95's Web site, www.lz95.org.