District 103 to increase staff at schools next year

Lincolnshire-Prairie View District 103 plans to make improvements starting next year that will include renovations and new faces at all three district schools.

The long-range capital improvement plan, which was approved by the board at a meeting March 10, details infrastructure projects the district hopes to complete within the next six to 10 years.

Each year, the board will determine specific projects to be completed after first reviewing the anticipated financial impact.

Superintendent Larry Fleming said the goal is to bring all three schools up to what the district feels are excellent standards.

The district made structure improvements two years ago such as replacing boilers, roofs and heating systems after Chevron Energy Solutions was hired to review how the district could improve energy efficiency.

Fleming said projects among the long-range plan were some also recommended by Chevron that the district could not initially complete because of budgetary reasons. Others were suggested by meeting with staff at each school.

He said the changes detailed in the long-range plan will be more visible to those who use the schools. Projects this year include renovating bathrooms at Half Day, Sprague and Daniel Wright and upgrading parking lots at Sprague and Daniel Wright.

Future projects include classroom upgrades and asbestos abatement at Half Day in 2009 and Sprague in 2010. Air conditioning will be added to Sprague and Half Day in 2013.

Fleming said the district feels this plan should be put in place particularly in light of passing the successful 38-cent tax rate increase in 2006. He added the district also will receive additional dollars due to the area home's equalized assessed valuation going higher than the district budget first anticipated.

"Once this series is completed, we should be in excellent condition as a school district for years to come," Fleming said.

The district also has hired 10 additional full-time staff, what Fleming called the largest group to be hired at one time. The new staff will join the district in the 2008-09 school year.

Many of the staff hired, including a fifth- and sixth-grade teacher at Daniel Wright and a fourth-grade teacher at Half Day, will help reduce class size. Two teachers at Sprague will help the school expand its full-day kindergarten in the 2008-09 school year.

"It will pay great dividends over the years in terms of service we can provide to kids," he said.