District 59 to vote on school additions

The Elk Grove Township Elementary District 59 school board is expected to vote today, June 22, on whether to move forward with classroom and other additions at three of the district's 14 buildings.

At a recent board retreat, district officials identified nearly $9 million in building improvements needed at Juliette Low and Rupley elementary schools, and Ridge Family Center for Learning.

The most pressing need is at Juliette Low, which will be severely overcrowded next year with a projected enrollment of 397 students, said Betsy Boswell, District 59 spokeswoman.

Last year, 366 students were enrolled in the Arlington Heights school. Over the past two years, officials have moved the preschool and English as a second language programs out of that building.

"It's getting very tight," Boswell said. "It would be difficult to do any more shifting of programs. We'd have to probably redistrict students, and that is always difficult. There is no way that we can go into the (2010) school year without an addition or redistribution of students."

If approved by the school board Monday, district officials expect to go out for bids soon on the roughly $3.6 million project to build eight new classrooms, a new storage area and relocate restrooms at the school.

"They are looking to have that completed before the 2010-2011 school year," Boswell said.

At Rupley school in Elk Grove Village, officials hope to reconfigure the building's entrance so visitors enter a secure front office area rather than the main hallway when buzzed in.

The plan also calls for adding another multipurpose room to accommodate students who presently eat lunch in the school's gym, and building two additional classrooms. The school's projected enrollment is 463 students next year.

That project, expected to cost about $3.5 million, should be completed by the beginning of the 2011-2012 school year, Boswell said.

Meanwhile, Ridge Family Center for Learning in Elk Grove Village, which is expected to have roughly 293 students enrolled next year, needs an additional activity room/gymnasium for its growing preschool and two additional classrooms. The building houses a preschool and elementary grades, as well as activities for the whole family.

The $1.8 million project is expected to be completed for the 2011-2012 school year.

All three projects will likely be financed through building bonds, and some federal stimulus funds also may be available, Boswell said.

The District 59 school board meeting begins at 7 p.m. in the board room of the Administration Center, 2123 S. Arlington Heights Road.