D214 bond sale approved; construction ahead
Northwest Suburban High School District 214 approved a $20 million bond sale on Thursday and outlined some of the facility improvements and major maintenance projects the money will be spent on — including a new roof, renovated science labs, parking lot repairs and upkeep at the district's six high schools.
Brian Lichtenberger, director of operations for District 214, presented the plans to the board with estimated costs adding up to $17.3 million.
John Hersey High School will renovate two science labs and the division office at an estimated cost of $800,000. Lichtenberger said this is part of a project to renovate all science labs at Hersey, which are the oldest in the district.
Prospect High School will renovate six bathrooms, with an estimated cost at $550,000. Prospect also will get a new curtain wall, which is the exterior covering of the building, on the north side. The south side was done last year, and Lichtenberger said it improved insulation and energy efficiency. The estimated cost is $1.6 million.
A large amount of money is being allocated to the sound abatement program at Elk Grove High School. Of the $15 million project, $10.2 million is being funded by the FAA through refunds.
A redesigned main hallway, commons area and community room is also planned for Elk Grove costing an estimated $1.1 million.
“When this is all done it will have a much more modern feel,” Lichtenberger said. “It's a game-changer in my mind, when you walk in there and get this upbeat feel based on the brightness and colors.”
Part of Elk Grove's roof will be replaced, for about $130,000. More money is being set aside for architectural fees, asbestos management and contingencies, bringing the subtotal for facility improvements to $4.7 million, plus the additional $10.2 million for the sound abatement program.
Another $2.3 million will be spent on other major maintenance projects in the district, which Lichtenberger said come from requests from the individual buildings.
These requests include parking lot fixes, tennis court repairs, outdoor track updates, new driver education vehicles.
Lichtenberger also discussed repair schedules over the next few years to show board members what maintenance to expect in the future.
“The public is really not aware of how much it costs to maintain our buildings,” said board member Alva Kreutzer. “We have an abundance of projects that need to be done, and these things take time and money.”
Regarding the $20 million bond sale, some residents, including members of Taxpayers United, have said District 214 has a large enough amount of working cash they should not need to borrow.
Superintendent Dave Schuler counters that given the economy and the unreliability of the state, the cash flow of the district varies almost month to month.
“The assumption is we get our money from the state in November. Sometimes that happens, sometimes it doesn't,” he said.
The board is expected to approve facility improvements and maintenance projects at its Nov. 3 meeting.
District 214 is the second-largest high school district in the state and serves more than 12,000 students from Arlington Heights, Buffalo Grove, Des Plaines, Elk Grove, Mount Prospect, Prospect Heights, Rolling Meadows and Wheeling.