Dundee-Crown High School roof, field house improvements part of District 300 summer projects

The replacement of half of Dundee-Crown High School's roof, parking lot maintenance at several schools and improvements to school gymnasiums are among the construction projects completed this summer by Algonquin-based Community Unit District 300.

The district "embarked on a lot of ambitious projects" ahead of the 2021-22 school year, said Dan Opels, the district's executive director of facilities.

At Dundee-Crown High School, the roof replacement ran into a "bit of a snag," he said, as a lot of wiring ran beneath the roof.

"It took a little bit of extra time, but it's all wrapped up and ready to go," Opels said.

Dundee-Crown's field house also got an upgrade, with its main flooring, track and bleacher motor all replacedm as well as its ticket booth.

Hampshire Middle School replaced the bridge that leads out to the school's practice fields, ball fields and track in a job that was "no small task," Opels said. The bridge needed work done on it now for some time, he said, adding the school also had its floor replaced.

At Hampshire High School, the field house floor was repaired and refinished, and the indoor track was replaced. Each end of the field house floor is now flanked with a paw print representing the Hampshire High School logo, the Whip-Pur, which is depicted as a big cat.

Work also is ongoing at the new Hampshire elementary school, which has yet to be named, Opels said.

This school is expected to have 500 students in preschool through fifth grade, primarily from the villages of Hampshire and Pingree Grove. The new school building is estimated to cost $30.8 million and open in August 2022.

This summer, Opels said, work was done to grade the site, pour concrete and finish up the retention pond and sewage system.

Some schools, including Carpentersville Middle School, had interior work done, including the rebuilding of the school's library and offices.