$8 million for stadium renovations this summer in Dist. 214

Northwest Suburban High School District 214 will spend $8 million to replace running tracks, synthetic field turf and stadium lights at Buffalo Grove, John Hersey and Prospect high schools, in addition to scoreboards at the latter two schools.

The stadium upgrades are among nearly $25 million worth of capital work to be done across the district this summer, but still represent just a sliver of the district’s $850 million facilities to-do list — some of which is being contemplated for a referendum.

The latest projects, approved by the school board through three publicly bid joint purchasing contracts late last week, will be funded in large part through a planned spend down of reserves. The board a year ago agreed to lower its minimum fund balance target from 50% to 40% of annual operating expenditures to free up money for building projects.

Officials say the running tracks at the three schools have significant physical and cosmetic deterioration — even steel and metal popping up in some places — that requires a complete overall. The work calls for full-depth replacement of the stone base, asphalt and urethane surface.

“We’ve got roots coming up, so we have to tear it all down at this point,” said Chris Uhle, the district’s associate superintendent for operations.

The tracks vary in age: Prospect’s was installed in 2009, Buffalo Grove’s in 2002, and Hersey’s in the late 1990s.

The field playing surfaces at the three schools — about 15 years old — have also shown substantial wear, officials said.

Construction crews will be able to keep the existing stone base at each stadium, with only minor fine grading needed before the new turf is installed. Newer “coolplay” turf technology “reflects more of the sunlight so it doesn’t get as hot,” Uhle said.

The new tracks and fields will cost $6.5 million.

For $933,600, the district will replace old metal halide stadium lights with LED fixtures to save energy and reduce operating costs, for an estimated 30% to 50% off utility bills. Officials say the new fixtures will put light exactly where it’s needed across the playing surfaces, while reducing glare and light spill.

The new scoreboards at Hersey and Prospect — at a cost of $692,962 — will be similar to the one installed in 2023 at Buffalo Grove. To defray costs, the boards will feature digital ads secured by the Power Ad Co., under a contract the board inked last August.

Last month, the board approved a range of other summer infrastructure projects, including $1.2 million for six new scoreboards with integrated shot clocks inside school gymnasiums.

The stadium construction work is expected to begin in May and be done in time for the start of the fall sports season. Summer sports camps will be relocated to other schools; the Forest View Educational Center will likely host the Prospect and Hersey camps, Uhle said.