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Naperville Dist. 203 proposes $30 million capital improvement plan

Naperville Unit District 203 school officials are proposing a five-year capital improvement plan that would cost a total of $30 million.

Calling the $6 million-a-year proposal a "working, living document" at Monday's board meeting, District 203 Superintendent Dan Bridges said the details and schedule are subject to change based on need.

The board is slated to vote on the 2022-23 portion of the plan on Oct. 18 for projects that include condenser replacement and relocation at Meadow Glens and River Woods elementary schools as well as boiler replacements at Lincoln and Kennedy junior high schools. While those projects will cost a total of about $1.3 million, window and door replacement at Washington Junior High will cost $850,000 and roof, flooring and asphalt work at various schools will cost $1.57 million.

District Buildings and Grounds Director Patrick Dolan presented the proposal at Monday's meeting, first noting the $5.8 million spent in 2021 on projects such as building the learning commons at Jefferson Junior High and Meadow Glens, and replacing the flooring in Naperville Central High School's field house. Some of the 2021 items finished over budget due to supply chain and other issues, but the overall price came in under the budgeted $6 million amount, according to Dolan.

Dolan answered questions from board members related to the priority of items on the future schedule and the replacement of major mechanical items with an eye on energy consciousness.

"It's always at the back of our minds how we can take a sustainable approach," Dolan said. "We also balance that with student safety, with durability and the ability to not disrupt the school day.

"I really welcome and encourage the burgeoning opportunities we're going to have for clean energy, all of which we'll take advantage of in every single school and property in the district if it's feasible," he said.

While a variety of items are proposed over the next five years, roof replacements are budgeted to account for nearly $8 million. Dolan said the next capital improvement plan will be developed in 2026, and will take nine months to a year to develop.

"(We) proposed delaying a comprehensive new facility assessment report until we felt we were at the end of completion of some really important and substantial infrastructure projects," Dolan said, "knowing that the next report would probably reflect future goals as well as future potential issues such as resiliency, renewable energy, curriculum changes, changes in demographics."

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