Glen Ellyn District 89 completes $24.8 million construction project
A $24.8 million construction project in Glen Ellyn Elementary District 89 has been completed on time and under budget.
Officials say the work essentially gutted and replaced the infrastructure of all five of the district's schools from floor to ceiling.
Because of competition among bidders during a slow economy, the cost of the work actually came in below the $24.8 million voters approved in a referendum question. As a result, the district was able to redirect $950,000 toward work that wasn't originally included in the plan. Additionally, $335,000 will be put aside until all invoices are paid off.
"It's one of the interesting ironies of the recession," Superintendent John Perdue said. "With the bidding climate where it was in the winter of '08, it was just very favorably bid at the time. We were able to get more done than we anticipated."
The project has brought the district up to date in terms of technology and infrastructure. Before the work, roofs had started to leak and a now completely overhauled phone system was in poor shape.
Also, all five of the district's buildings - Glen Crest Middle School, Arbor View, Park View and Westfield elementary schools in Glen Ellyn and Briar Glen Elementary School in Wheaton - now have air conditioning throughout the entire facility, which was not the case before voters approved the referendum in the spring of 2008.
Board President Lori Gaspar said the district did temperature studies on some classrooms and found they were not conducive to learning.
"When we did the studies, people realized how hot they were," she said. "Even some prisons have air conditioning and we didn't have it."
Gaspar said the mere act of improving the schools should benefit the students.
"It does say, 'We care about you,'" she said. "I think anybody can achieve more if they feel supported and that includes not just what we say but what we do."
Students are scheduled to begin classes Aug. 25 in what Perdue said are nearly new buildings.
"Every facet of infrastructure was removed and improved," Perdue said. "It was a huge team effort to get that done in a timely manner and it was impressive."
Elgin-based IHC Construction and Oak Brook-based Legat Architects worked to replace chalkboards in each building with white boards and interactive SMART Board technology.
A large portion of the work was completed last summer and resulted in a brief delay of classes.
Perdue said the improvements will enhance learning at the schools and provide an increased sense of pride in the district.
"Being brought up in a very technology-rich and robust learning environment is a fabulous thing for the kids right now," Perdue said. "We have brought learning into the 21st century. The community should be very proud. It's going to last well into our future and the dollars have been invested quite wisely."