District 93 moving to improve Johnson School

A Hanover Park elementary school is in line for roughly $3.3 million in upgrades this summer to its roof, office area and library.

The Carol Stream Elementary District 93 school board awarded bids for the work for Elsie C. Johnson School, 1380 Nautilus Lane. The maximum cost for the project is capped around $3.8 million.

Superintendent Bill Shields said the project will transform the school library into a "21st-century innovation center."

The library project calls for installation of a skylight, creation of a study area with a movable glass wall and placement of flexible furniture that can be reconfigured to meet the needs of students and teachers.

The front entrance and office work will include building out from beneath the school's front overhang.

Johnson will get a new main office area that forces visitors to check in before gaining access to the hallways and the rest of the school. That space will include a vestibule, waiting area for guests, receptionist desk, principal's office, assistant principal's office and a conference room.

The work also will leave the school with a larger faculty center featuring a professional library for staff.

Currently, once visitors get buzzed into the school, they have access to a hallway, Shields said.

"We don't want people to be walking in unaccompanied or not fully approved," Shields said. "So it's going to help with a lot of safety and security."

Some roof replacement work also is scheduled.

Shields said work is expected to start right after school ends and be completed before the end of September.