District 47 schools will get facelift

All 12 schools in Crystal Lake Elementary District 47 will undergo some type of renovation this summer, with the school board sinking about $10.4 million into upgrading facilities.

Major areas of focus include structural repairs — like new doors, windows, roofs and flooring, exterior maintenance and the updating of mechanical equipment.

“Just about every school will be touched with these dollars, depending on the relative condition of the school,” said Dave Schuh, District 47's director of operations. “Our goal is to address the most urgent facility needs.”

Some of the most pressing needs are replacing doors, windows, masonry, walls, asphalt and concrete at Hussman Elementary School — the oldest building in the district. The newest school in the district, Glacier Ridge Elementary, will undergo drainage repairs and mechanical system upgrades.

The school district will expend the remainder of the $15 million in bond money the district issued last year.

“The buildings need a little bit of love and care right now and we need to make some improvements,” board Vice President Nancy Gonsiorek said. “If we don't take care of the buildings right away they will start to fall apart and cost everyone a lot more later. We are playing catch-up on taking care of buildings.”

The district, which spent about $4 million in the summer of 2010, is implementing a 10-year rolling plan to update and maintain facilities, said Susan Harkin, the district's chief financial officer.

“We are using the first two years to catch up on the projects that were deferred,” Harkin said. “We've budgeted $1.5 million for annual updates and to invest back in assets.”