With the results of a referendum safely in the “yes” column, the Lincoln-Way High School Board is getting its expansion project ready to go.
The first $20 million worth of bonds to finance enlarging Lincoln-Way’s freshman-sophomore East Campus in Frankfort and junior-senior Central Campus in New Lenox into two separate four-year high schools will be sold this spring, said Supt. Lawrence Wyllie.
Voters approved a $60 million bond issue to finance the expansion in the March 17 election, but the cost to taxpayers is expected to be lower since the school district has qualified to receive some state funding for the project.
School officials don’t know exactly how much state money they will get, but the total could be as high as $23 million.
In a related matter, the board has agreed to retain the architectural firm Dahlquist and Lutzow to design the project, and the construction firm Henry Bros. to oversee the building work. The two firms worked on the district’s previous project, building additional classrooms and a fine arts center at the East Campus and field houses at both campuses.
Formal contracts will be presented to the board at the April 9 meeting, Wyllie said.
Beginning next month, the board will receive regular reports on the progress of the expansion, he said.
School officials hope to begin some of the outdoor work this summer, he said.
In other business, the school board voted to ask for a waiver of a new state requirement capping increases at 5 percent in some school budget expenditures, such as transportation, utility bills, support staff, administration and legal fees.
Expansion won’t require the school district to hire new administrators or deans, but operating two separate high schools will increase other costs, he said.