Student asks questions about Central's renovations

David Mallett, a Naperville Central student, recently wrote me an e-mail with some good questions regarding the proposed renovation of his school -- the renovation that is planned if voters approve Naperville Unit District 203's $43 million facilities bond referendum question on Feb. 5.

Although he was asking his questions for a story in the school newspaper, the Central Times, I thought the topics he covered were worthy of a wider audience. His questions and my answers:

Is it true, Dave asked, that about 75 percent of the building will be affected in some way?

It is a fair estimate, perhaps even a bit low. The only areas of Central that would not be touched in the proposed facilities plan would be the pool and auditorium, built relatively recently, and the basement, part of which will ultimately be converted to storage if the school's enrollment declines as predicted.

Why is the three-story (older) part of the building being expanded?

The expansion of the three-story wing, with its planned additions, will provide brand new science labs; will allow all the core academic teachers (English, math, science, social studies and foreign language) to be together; will enlarge the classrooms in the older wing of the building that are substantially too small by today's standards; and will put all the student lockers in that part of the building.

What that means for students is that most of their day will be spent in the academic wing, and they will no longer be constantly going back and forth across the building.

Are there any areas where this renovation may negatively affect the building or the environment for students?

During the three years the renovation is progressing we can certainly expect dust and inconvenience. Parking will be especially tight, as construction vehicles will need to be on-site and certain parts of the grounds will be "off-limits" for safety reasons.

While the detailed phasing plan has not been done, to the maximum extent possible, major renovations and demolitions will be done over the summer.

Generally, new additions will be built first so students and teachers can move into them while older areas of the building are being renovated. Because there is asbestos in almost all the older buildings, its removal will require careful attention. But we have an excellent track record in that regard and will strictly adhere to the federal guidelines.

Overall, how is this renovation going to affect students at Naperville Central compared to our current learning environment?

I personally believe Central will feel like a completely different building, with a three-story, sky-lit cafeteria and new library housed in the heart of the academic area. There will be a dedicated bus drop-off area (no longer next to the Dumpsters), a new front entrance, new indoor PE spaces, an expanded special education area, a brand new music area next to the auditorium, no mobile classrooms, a Riverwalk extension around the building and new synthetic turf on the football stadium that is surrounded by a new eight-lane track. The list goes on.

Are we asking too much of voters to approve a $43 million referendum?

That is ultimately the question the voters will decide. It is important to note that the board of education has approved $114.9 million in renovations; voters need to approve only $43 million to make the plan a reality. That translates to $82 per year for the next 20 years for the average District 203 homeowner.

I hope this dialogue is useful to those of you who haven't been immersed in the details of our facilities referendum, particularly as it affects Naperville Central. In next month's column I will address the other schools in the proposed facilities plan.

In reality, I also wanted to highlight how proud I am that we are teaching our students to ask good questions. After all, asking good questions can be every bit as important as being able to answer them.