What District 62 parents need to know for first day of school

What only a week ago seemed unlikely has come to pass at Des Plaines Elementary District 62 as workers prepare Algonquin Middle School for the first day of classes Monday, Aug. 23.

The Regional Office of Education granted the school a temporary occupancy permit Wednesday after a walk-through inspection of the building, a portion of which is still under construction.

"Everything is completed as much as possible," said Mindy Ward, District 62 director of community relations. "It's clean. It's safe. There's electricity, water running, plumbing ... the sprinklers are ready to go. All of the teachers' belongings are back in place so when they have access to the building they will be able to put their classrooms back up."

Today is teacher institute day for Algonquin Middle School. Teachers will be able to set up their classrooms over the weekend. Meanwhile, workers are finishing putting in shelves and equipment in the school's library.

Three other district schools where construction is ongoing also were cleared for occupancy Wednesday, too, although their opening was not threatened.

Algonquin suffered the biggest setback from a three-week laborers strike.

Had it not passed inspection, the district would have had to move 700 students plus staff to the Prairie Lakes Community Center or to Oakton Community College.

"All of the efforts of our team have been able to pull this together so that we can stick with our original plan to have all of our students back in Algonquin on Monday," Superintendent Jane Westerhold said.

Though likely relieved to be going to their own school, Algonquin parents, students and staff will have to make some adjustments as the renovation and addition work continues.

Here's what they need to know and what they'll see:

• Parking lots at the school won't be ready for use, and it is unclear when they will be completed. The school's 70 staff members and visitors will use Trinity Lutheran Church's parking lot.

• Buses will drop students off at Algonquin Road. Parents should drop off and pick up their children along Fifth Avenue, on the west side of campus. From there students should walk down Algonquin Road to the east entrance. Parents won't be allowed to wait or park on the school side of Algonquin Road.

• The main entrance on the west side of the school and existing administration offices/reception area won't be accessible to anyone since they are being renovated. The addition won't be completed until a year from this fall.

• On the east side of the building, a classroom has been converted into a temporary administration center.

• Students can't eat lunch in the school cafeteria since it was part of the renovation and is being expanded to accommodate more students. Instead, they will receive meals from a temporary lunch station.

• Band and orchestra rooms that were on the second floor of the school were torn down as part of the renovation. Those classes will be conducted at Trinity Lutheran Church until work is completed.

• The library has been completely refurbished with new carpeting, painting, a new circular circulation desk and reconfigured space to make traffic flow more easily.

• Some corridors are still bare cement, and some ceilings may not have tiles. Bathrooms have been retired and outfitted with faucets and lights triggered by motion sensors.

• Throughout Algonquin, students will notice a new color scheme in classrooms and corridors. The vivid blues and lime greens reflect the colors of District 62's logo.

For construction updates on all District 62 schools and responses to some frequently asked questions, visit the district's website at d62.org.