District 300 getting ready for start of school
The highlight of last week's Community Unit District 300 school board meeting didn't come from the dais or the podium.
It came from the audience. During a discussion among school board members, I heard a familiar Birmingham-accented voice.
"All aboard!"
It was Ozzy Osbourne, the prince of darkness, on an audience member's ringtone. The owner of the phone, unfortunately, silenced it before we could hear Ozzy's manic laugh and the "ai ai ai" that follows.
I guess the owner of the phone didn't see the bold and underlined notice that reads PLEASE TURN OFF CELL PHONES AND PAGERS at the top of the meeting agenda.
The ringtone was a welcome respite from an otherwise routine meeting where the only action item of interest was John Ryan's vendor/contractor conflict of interest policy.
But last week's meeting was in no way representative of a lull in the district's activity. Far from it, District 300 is busy gearing up for the start of the school year.
The district's new elementary schools, Gilberts Elementary School and Gary D. Wright Elementary School in Hampshire, are almost ready to welcome their first students, Assistant Superintendent of Operations Chuck Bumbales says.
Wright has had occupancy for almost two weeks. Staff has moved in, and Internet and phone systems are operational.
Gilberts isn't far behind. The school received occupancy, furniture and desks last week and will be ready for students on Sept. 6, the first full day of school in the district.
The finishing touches are being put on exterior work -- landscaping and asphalt work -- at Dundee-Crown and Jacobs high schools.
Three new science labs at Dundee-Crown should be ready for its teenage chemists and biologists this week.
There are a couple delays at Jacobs. The competition gym is complete with the exception of the 2,500-seat bleachers. These should be installed by two weeks into the school year. The auditorium should be rebuilt by the end of September.
Until the work on the new gym is complete, athletic contests scheduled for the gym will be moved to one of the school's other athletic venues -- the fieldhouse, the original gym or the auxiliary gym.
Work on Hampshire High School is progressing well, and the building is still on schedule to open in a year.
District 300 administrators and custodians were also busy in the last couple weeks dealing with flooding and storm damage.
Water from Carpentersville's stormwater system was backing up into some of the district's buildings, but water was pumped out and permanent damage was avoided, Bumbales said.
It will be an exciting year for District 300, especially for students at the Gilberts and Gary D. Wright elementary schools. I wish them the best of luck as they sag their backpacks and jeans through the schools' halls for the first time.