$1.7 Million in D86 Summer Projects Approved, But Not Unanimously

The District 86 Board of Education this week approved a slate of summer facilities projects that includes main hall renovations and newly painted lockers at both schools, and an expanded and renovated girls locker room at Hinsdale South.

The year after major construction work took place at both campuses, summer 2013 facilities work at Hinsdale Central and Hinsdale South is expected to cost District 86 about $1.7 million, according to the administration's report on the projects.

The cost of the summer’s planned designed construction projects is estimated by District 86 officials to be about $1.1 million, not to exceed $1.6 million.

The cost estimate for non-design construction work such asbestos removal, transformer repair, and sidewalk repair is $140,250, and design-only costs like those for a storm water study and a building egress analysis are expected to total $86,360.

District 86 administration expects all of the summer work to cost $1,672,256.

The projects got the board's approval by a 5-2 vote. Dianne Barrett and Richard Skoda voted against approval.

Skoda said he did not think enough information was provided by the administration on all the repairs needed at both schools, their priority, and why those that were selected for 2013 were indeed selected.

"My concern here is the process," Skoda said.

Barrett, meanwhile, had problems with some of the projects themselves.

She said she walked through the schools during a recent institute day and, afterwards, concluded that the district does not need to spend $79,760 on painting lockers at Central and South that would, according to Superintendent Nick Wahl, match them with their respective school colors. 

"I think any citizen walking through, any parent walking through, that would not be something that jumped out at them," Barrett said of the lockers.

Barrett also singled out the $26,000 for new batting cages at Central and the $170,775 for renovations to the girls locker room at South as expenses she thought were questionable.

The board member made a motion to table the discussion and delay a vote on the summer projects item, but with only Skoda voting with her, it was not successful.

Wahl said at the board's Jan. 14 meeting that the list of projects is not necessarily a comprehensive list of needed repairs.

“This is prioritized by things that have been determined the most emergent need by the campuses,” Wahl said.

The project list and associated costs are not final, according to the superintendent, and no projects have gone out to bid.

“There could be some deferment as a result of bidding,” Wahl said.