Schools

UPDATE: D122 Approves $2.1M in Building Projects

The New Lenox school board is holding a special meeting at 7:30 tonight at the Haven Administrative Center to vote on which projects it will approve.

The District 122 school board approved $2.1 million in priority facility projects during a special meeting Monday night.

The lone dissenting vote was by board member Sue Smith, who previously questioned whether piping that will be replaced had actually reached its life expectancy.

The projects include:

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  • Replacing the hydronic and domestic water piping at and renovating the affected areas ($962,302)
  • Replacing the hydronic and domestic water piping at and renovating the affected areas ($941,223)
  • Removing and replacing all windows at Bentley ($210,722)
  • Installing several shutoff valves in the domestic water piping at the Haines-Oakview campus ($20,000)

"We believe we should focus our resources to remove the 'show-stoppers' that can shut down our schools by replacing the hydronic piping at Bentley and Tyler," business manager Harold Huang said in a memo to the board. "We would also install several valves for the domestic water piping at Haines and Oakview so we can isolate areas if the domestic water pipe springs a leak."

To pay for these projects, the district will use about $1.6 million from its working cash fund, as well as $440,000 from the life safety fund and $100,000 from the current site and construction fund.

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The board originally considered $3.4 million in building projects this year, but District 122 administrators dropped that recommendation about $2 million worth of renovations in the schools instead.

Administrators needed a vote this week to assure they can bid projects and order materials in enough time. The $2.1 million in renovations is part of a list of 102 building projects the district has compiled with an estimated cost of more than $30 million.

Supt. Mike Sass said the school district could probably reduce its reserves to $12.5 million in savings, after using some money to pay for these projects, and still maintain a strong credit rating because it would have a quarter of its operating budget saved.

Previously, the board toward designing plans and getting sites ready to bid. That way, when money becomes available for the actual construction, the projects will be ready to begin.

The board discussed these projects at a January strategic plan meeting, and since then many have toured the buildings to see first-hand the age of the piping.

Board member Sue Smith, though, questions the cost of replacing the piping and wondered if they are truly past their prime. She requested information from the district and found that little to no money had been put into repairs on the pipes over the last few years.

Still, most members showed support for replacing the pipes, which has been a priority for the district for several years. Although it's not an immediate safety concern, there is a possibility the pipes could spring a leak of hot water at any moment, causing damage and shutting down school.

"It’s like a ticking clock," board President Nick DiSandro said. "How long will it last? When will it break? Where is it going to break? Will it break over a classroom, near a dry wall, over a computer? The point is, they’re not in good shape."

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