New Dist. 220 early learning center plans move forward

Barb Romano dreams of a school where 3-year-olds don't have to ride the bus for 45 minutes each way.

She envisions sound-absorbing walls for students with sensory issues. Teachers not having to bend over preschool-sized sinks would be another welcome change.

Romano, the principal of Woodland Early Learning Center in Carpentersville, is working to make it happen. Friday, she met with architects and Barrington Area Unit District 220 officials to review design plans for a new early learning center serving 3- to 5-year-olds with special needs.

"We want a cozy kind of school that's comforting for little people," said Romano. "They're going to be warm and safe and happy."

The $12 million, state-of-the-art facility will be built on district land just west of Barrington Middle School Prairie Campus. Officials have long wanted the state-mandated early childhood program in a more central location, but voters rejected two proposals to move it from Carpentersville to the Health World Children's Museum in Barrington.

Despite multiple repairs and renovations, Woodland shows every bit of its 60 years. Ventilation is poor and the building isn't compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Even its basic shape - long and skinny - is troublesome because of time and effort involved in getting more than 200 special needs students around.

"We're designing something from the eye of a preschooler," said Romano. "This couldn't even be a K-5 building."

The new 37,000-square-foot early learning center will have 16 classrooms compared to 12 at Woodland. Construction could begin in April, a little more than a year after the project won school board approval.

The upcoming bidding process will work in the district's financial favor because the industry is so desperate for work, said Superintendent Tom Leonard. District 220 is also preparing to get bids early next year for renovations to Station Middle School.

Perkins and Will Architects will present the updated design at a school board meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 18.