Lincolnshire-Prairie View School District 103 headquarters to relocate early next year
If you've got any extra cardboard boxes or shipping tape, Lincolnshire-Prairie View School District 103 officials may want them.
The district's headquarters is set to relocate from its long-standing home at Wright Junior High School to 111 Barclay Blvd. in Lincolnshire, an office building less than three miles away.
The move, scheduled for late January or early February, is a key component of a renovation and expansion project planned for Wright next year.
Nineteen District 103 staffers will make the move, including Superintendent Scott Warren, two assistant superintendents, various other administrators and some support personnel.
The Barclay office space is vacant now. It covers about 10,000 square feet and will give District 103 room for offices and a large training space, Warren said.
The current District 103 offices encompass about 4,500 square feet at Wright. Many employees occupy a bullpen of cubicles and makeshift work spaces.
But Warren insisted the move is more about creating more educational space at Wright than giving district staffers more room.
"We are cramped, but the reason we are moving is to open up space for student learning," Warren said.
An $8 million expansion and renovation project is planned for the school. The crux of the plan is a one-story, 1,800-square-foot classroom addition near the front of the building.
Additionally, the school's front entrance will relocate and the library will be renovated, among other changes.
Construction is scheduled to start in late February or early March. The improvements should be done ahead of the 2020-21 school year.
With the renovation on the horizon, the school board approved a 10-year lease for the Barclay Boulevard space in October. Rent will be about $8,935 per month for the first year, with annual increases to follow, Warren said.
The lease has an option to terminate after seven years. Officials will re-evaluate the district's options at that time, Warren said.
As a side effect of the move, school board meetings will be held at the Barclay offices rather than in Wright Junior High's library once the shift is complete.