Indian Prairie District 204 school board OKs more summer projects, totaling over $15.5 million
The projects, totaling over $15.5 million, are set to be completed over the summer, according to Monday's meeting agenda.
The district will be constructing 'secure vestibules' at 11 elementary schools this summer, according to the agenda. These secure entryways would require visitors to interact with the main office before they can get into the school, district officials have previously said.
The expected cost of the new entryways, approved by the board on Monday, is just under $10 million, according to the district. That price includes the bids for construction of the entryways, as well as expenses like furniture, security cameras and scanners, architectural costs and fees and permits, District 204's Chief School Business Official Matthew Shipley told The Beacon-News on Tuesday.
Indian Prairie will also be replacing lighting systems at Metea Valley High School and Fischer, Granger and Still middle schools with LED fixtures, according to Monday's meeting agenda. The district has said that the new lighting will be more energy efficient and will qualify for at least $456,000 in utility rebates. The district will also be installing remote access at 22 district schools to allow personnel to check the status of the schools' HVAC systems from a computer rather than in-person.
The total for those two projects, approved on Monday, amounts to around $5.7 million.
On Feb. 5, Indian Prairie's board approved more than $7 million in capital improvements also set to be done over the summer, including flooring replacements, paving work, roofing and gutter repairs and the installation of four new playgrounds.
These projects and the others set for the summer are being funded as a result of the passage of a referendum question in November, in which voters approved the district's proposal to sell $420 million in bonds for updates to its facilities, according to past reporting.
The district planned to do $40 million worth of upgrades and repairs this summer, according to past reporting, with a focus on safety and security upgrades. The funds from the bond sales can only go toward capital projects, not operational costs.
Bond sales will be done in rounds through 2029. Most recently, on Feb. 27, the board amended this year's budget – which was made and approved before the November referendum – to reflect nearly $15 million in capital funds from a bond sale in December. District officials have said that the next bond issuance, set for this summer, is expected to be over $100 million.
The district plans to provide a budget update at the May 5 board meeting, according to past reporting, as well as an update on June 16 about some of the projects funded by the passage of the November referendum question.
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