D122 Prioritizes $30M in Capital Improvements

With a long list of capital improvements totaling more than $30 million facing the New Lenox school district, the board continues to look at which projects are priorities and how to pay for them. 

During a strategic plan meeting Wednesday, the District 122 school board approved bids for a couple of projects and got an updated priority list. 

"It’s a recognition that we’re moving forward," facilities director Bob Nelson said. 

Earlier this year, the board approved $2.1 million in building upgrades, covering four projects that included piping replacement at and schools, as well as window replacements at Bentley. 

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Pat Brosnan of Legat Architects outlined the projects the district will look to complete the following year.

It includes removing deteriorating galvanized hydronic mechanical piping and replacing it with new copper piping. The project would be done at both Tyler and Bentley schools, with an estimated total cost of $1.14 million.

Those projects are listed first and third in priority, according to the district's capital improvements plan. You can see the full plan attached to this article as a PDF. 

"The process of taking some of the top priorities and addressing a few of these each year will keep us from falling behind," Brosnan said.

The district also approved a bid for , which is for is for students who face social and emotional challenges. The cost is about $1.2 million, below the $1.7 million budgeted, and the district will be reimbursed by the Lincoln-Way Area Special Education District 843 for the cost. 

Another bid approved Wednesday was for improving the office entrance at Oakview. Currently, the front door is not visible from the secretarial seat and parents must go through office space to get back into the school, which has caused some concern. Business manager Harold Huang said the cost of the project is about $72,000. 

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