Lincolnshire's Sprague School to be rededicated after $5.5 million improvement project

Now that a $5.5 million renovation has wrapped up, Lincolnshire's Laura B. Sprague School will be rededicated in a public ceremony Tuesday.

The 49-year-old school received a variety of upgrades, including air conditioning for classrooms, a new roof and fresh carpeting and flooring, Lincolnshire-Prairie View District 103 Superintendent Scott Warren said.

New playground equipment has been installed, too, among other improvements.

“It's nice to have a building that's (been renovated) literally from ceiling to floor,” Warren told the Daily Herald. “It's essentially a new building.”

The work was done in two phases, starting in summer 2012. Planning began in 2010 as part of a districtwide facility improvement project.

The effort primarily was funded with district savings, Warren said.

The district's parent-teacher organization has pledged to contribute $100,000 over two years to the cost of the playground makeover. Additionally, the Toro Company gave the school a $7,000 grant for landscaping around the playground, officials said.

Sprague offers early-childhood education and classes for kindergartners, first-graders and second-graders. Nearly 500 students are enrolled at the school.

Officials are thrilled with the renovation, Warren said.

“It's just a more pleasant place for staff and students to learn and grow,” he said.

Tuesday's ceremony is scheduled for 6:45 p.m. at Sprague School, 2425 Riverwoods Road.

Improvements also have been made at District 103's other campuses, Half Day School and Daniel Wright Junior High, but to a lesser degree.

Half Day received new parking-lot lights and some new carpeting, and a new gym floor is planned.

At Wright, 10 classrooms have been carpeting and two others have been remodeled. The parking lot, a baseball field and a gym have been spruced up, too.

Cost estimates were not available for those projects.

District 103 officials are developing a master plan that would cover building improvements for the next five to 10 years, Facilities Director Scott Gaunky said.