Ground has not been broken yet, but members of the Lincoln-Way High School Board got their first update on the school district’s expansion process Thursday night.
The job will begin with outdoor work, such as drainage, parking lots and tennis courts.
School officials started planning right after voters on March 17 approved the $60 million project that will enlarge and remodel Lincoln-Way’s freshman-sophomore East Campus in Frankfort and junior-senior Central Campus in New Lenox, creating two four-year high schools.
Stan Jagielski, of Henry Brothers, the construction firm hired to manage the project, said, “We’re going to focus our efforts basically on the Central Campus.” He said that campus is more compact and does not have as much room as the East Campus.
Taxpayers are not expected to foot the whole bill. Lincoln-Way officials learned last week their district is fifth on the state’s list of growing school districts eligible for state funds for expansion.
The project includes adding swimming pools and 50 classrooms to each school building, as well as athletic fields.