Barrington School District 220 officials recently got capital improvement projects going at three schools, putting the “Build 220” renovation and enhancement plan to work and spending a portion of the $147 million voters approved in a referendum.
Groundbreaking ceremonies were held May 27 at Grove Elementary School, and at Barrington Middle School-Prairie and Barrington Middle School-Station campuses, to kick off the start of capital improvement projects expected to cost about $40 million, collectively, at the three schools.
The work to be done includes safety and security upgrades, technology and infrastructure improvements and replacement of the mobile classrooms at the middle schools with permanent building additions. Officials explained that these three schools were selected as priorities.
Those gathered at BMS-Station for the groundbreaking there included some students from the school. Then-Superintendent Brian Harris addressed them in his opening remarks, speaking with the mobile classrooms in the background. They were installed at the school in 2007 to handle increasing enrollment.
“Those things will be gone – starting next week,” Harris said at the groundbreaking, drawing applause from students and staff. “And we’ll have a beautiful new addition to the building here.”
Harris also briefly recapped the history of what is now the Build 220 plan, which began in 2017 as Blueprint 220. The district tried unsuccessfully in 2019 to get a $185 million referendum approved by voters. But then in the March 17, 2020 election, 65% of voters responded “yes” to the question of the $147 million referendum, Harris said. He noted that voters’ approval came four days after concerns over the spread of the novel coronavirus forced school districts – including SD220 – to close to in-person instruction.
The upgrades at the three schools, under the Build 220 plan, include traffic safety bollards and barriers in pick-up and drop-off areas, new heating, ventilating and air conditioning units, along with other infrastructure improvements.
More Top Picks Irlen Syndrome In Gifted Students Who Hate Reading
Information on planned improvement projects at all district schools – with design, bidding and construction expected to stretch into 2025 – is available on the district website.
SD220 enrolls about 9,000 students across 11 schools, including Barrington High School and eight elementary schools, and one early childhood center. Towns served by the district, fully or in part, include Barrington, Barrington Hills, Lake Barrington, North Barrington, Port Barrington, South Barrington and more.
Graydon Megan is a freelancer.