Dist. 203 OKs safety improvements at two elementary schools

With the bulk of the $87.7 million renovation of Naperville Central High School behind them, Naperville Community Unit District 203 school board members took the first step toward addressing safety at two of its elementary schools.

Members voted 5 to 1, with only Dave Weeks dissenting, to approve an approximately $472,000 contract with Elgin-based Lamp Inc. to serve as construction manager for entrance renovations at Prairie and Ranch View elementary schools and for the locker room build out at Naperville North High School.

Of the $43 million in bonds voters authorized in a 2008 referendum, $5.2 million was earmarked for Naperville North to install synthetic turf, deepen its pool and improve pool locker rooms and outside traffic areas. About $700,000 would be spent on security enhancements at Prairie and Ranch View elementary schools.

The initial plans, however, didn't meet the safety requirements the district expected, and costs rose to $1.4 million for Prairie and $1.1 million for Ranch View.

“That $700,000 was a pipe dream and did not give us the best solutions,” Superintendent Mark Mitrovich said. “They were stopgaps. We realized savings in other areas and are able to do those buildings differently than first proposed. I don't think we can hang our hat on $700,000.”

The agreement approved Monday night pays Lamp a percentage of the cost of the projects. The North project includes a 2 percent fee including $15,000 for preconstruction, $45,734 for construction and management and an estimated direct general conditions cost of $135,595.

The Prairie and Ranch View projects are set at 3 percent. The Prairie project includes a preconstruction fee of $7,500, a construction management fee of $34,010 and an estimated direct general conditions fee of $125,850. Costs at Ranch View for the same areas are $7,500, $28,028 and $73,270 respectively.

Weeks voted against the contract because he believed the scope of the work being done may have changed from what voters originally approved. His statement kicked off a tense 45-minute dialogue during which he questioned the judgment and stewardship of some his peers on the board.

Board President Mike Jaensch said “the charter of the board was to fix seven buildings in the district,” noting many of the projects have been completed under budget and on time.

The three remaining projects are on schedule to be completed this summer.