Indian Prairie District 204 officials have proposed spending $50 million on capital improvement projects in 2022 to celebrate the school district’s 50th anniversary.
The “50 for 50? plan would include such things as installing more air-conditioning systems at elementary schools, replacing playground equipment, putting on new roofs, repairing tennis courts and resurfacing running tracks, Chief School Business Official Matt Shipley said.
With $9 million for capital improvements already earmarked in the 2021-22 budget and about $43 million in money not required for school operations, the plan is financially feasible, Shipley told the school board last week.
Among the projects on their list, Shipley and Building Operations Director Todd DePaul said, are:
Continuation of the installation of new air-conditioning systems at elementary schools;
Replacement of concrete at several locations;
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Replacement of slope roofs at Cowlishaw Elementary School and Neuqua Valley High School’s Birkett Freshman Center;
Renovation of the exterior of Prairie Children Preschool and new asphalt;
Repairs to the tennis courts at Metea Valley and Neuqua Valley high schools;
Resurfacing of the track at Waubonsie Valley High School;
Replacing playgrounds at several schools.
In 2014, consultants told Indian Prairie officials that the district should be spending about $8.4 million per year on capital improvements, Shipley said. The target number hasn’t been hit because of funding, COVID-19 and other issues, he said.
The improvements proposed for 2022 may bring the district up to the targeted total for those years cumulatively, but it’s also more expensive to catch up on delayed work than to do regular maintenance, Shipley said.
School Board President Laurie Donahue noted that the information presented by Shipley and DePaul showed more than $20 million in deferred maintenance since the mid-2010s.
“It’s like when you have a house and don’t repair the roof and just repair a couple shingles,” Donahue said. “Pretty soon things blow apart and you have massive problems at your house.”
Board member Justin Karubas said building maintenance isn’t the kind of thing that residents think much about until there’s a crisis.
“On buildings you won’t hear public comment or emails that I want to advocate for roof replacement until the HVAC breaks,” he said. “It’s important for us as a community to recognize we need to continue to set aside money for the buildings.”
While most of the work will be done during summer break, some projects are being done now, while students and teachers are out for winter break. Among the projects is the addition of air-purifying systems to school nurses offices, officials said.
They’re also making plans for things that can be tackled in 2023, such as more concrete work, roof and masonry repairs, playground equipment replacement and tennis court repairs at Waubonsie Valley High School, they said.
The installation of air-conditioning units at all elementary schools will enter its final phase in 2022 and 2023, a milestone board members applauded.
“I am absolutely thrilled we have finally reached this point,” board member Susan Demming said.