Palatine-Schaumburg District 211 to spend $29 million on pools
Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 school board members Thursday approved $29 million in contracts for the reconstruction of all five high schools' swimming pools over three years.
The first phase will concentrate on the replacement of the Conant High School pool in Hoffman Estates, beginning this summer and lasting into the 2014-15 school year.
All the district's pools were opened in 1978. Though they have been regularly maintained, there have been no major renovations during the past 36 years, officials said.
The project will completely replace each T-shaped pool with a larger and deeper square pool with more swimming lanes. Mechanical equipment, locker rooms, bleachers and offices will be replaced as well.
District 211 Director of Purchasing & Facilities Steve East said that during these three years, a rotation will be set up so that the operating pools will accommodate students and community groups displaced by construction.
Once the Conant pool is completed, those at Fremd High School in Palatine and Hoffman Estates High School will be worked on simultaneously. The final phase will involve Palatine and Schaumburg high schools.
In contrast, Northwest Suburban High School District 214 — which doesn't have swimming pools at three of its schools — is spending $11 million on the replacement of the one at Buffalo Grove High School.
Opening next school year, Buffalo Grove's new 29,750-square-foot facility will include not only a larger pool but more seating, concessions and restrooms.
Swimming and diving team students at District 214's Rolling Meadows, Prospect and Hersey high schools use either other district pools or the Arlington Heights Park District's Olympic Aquatic Center.
The contracts District 211 board members approved Thursday were awarded to 20 different companies in 12 general categories of construction work and related services.
In every instance, the contract was awarded to the lowest responsible bidder for each service category, district officials said.