Highlands School Addition and Renovation Project Approved

At the December 14 Board of Education meeting, the D106 Board approved the administration's recommendation to move forward with a school addition and renovation project. The information below is a summary of our process and the upcoming project.

Why is this project needed?

Student enrollment at Highlands has been increasing over the past several years. New home construction that is planned for the coming years, families with young children moving into the district, and an analysis conducted by demographer Dr. John Kasarda all indicate that our enrollment will continue to climb. We are already using every nook and cranny of our buildings and do not have any room for growth. This project will also provide us with the opportunity to complete some much-needed updates to our library and an opportunity to expand our students' horizons by building a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) and coding lab for each school.

When and where will the construction take place?

Our preliminary plan is for a 12-classroom addition to be built at the west end of the middle school. Construction should begin in the fall of 2022 and continue through the summer of 2023. All construction that needs to take place within the schools will happen during the summer months and when students are not in session. Our goal is to begin using this new space for the 2023-24 school year.

Who will be involved in the process?

D106 administration will partner with architects at Arcon and our construction management firm throughout the project. At strategic points in the process, representatives of the D106 staff and parent community will be given the opportunity to provide input. As decisions need to be made, staff members who will be impacted by this project will be consulted so that all perspectives are considered when making decisions about the design and function of the new and renovated spaces. Our desire is for this space to be a great learning environment for our students, so their voices and input will also be gathered.

What will be included in the new and renovated space?

Our current plan is to build 12 new classrooms in the addition. These rooms will include a new middle school STEM lab, art room, classrooms, and open commons space for students to work collaboratively or receive small group instruction. The current library will be renovated to make it cutting-edge, welcoming, and engaging for students. Additionally, an elementary STEM lab will be created. This new construction will allow us to expand to six sections of each elementary grade level (K-4) and 3 sections of ECE as needed. 

For additional preliminary renderings, please refer to Arcon's presentation which is linked below.

How much will this cost the district?

We are in the early stages of the planning process, and the current cost of materials and labor is more unpredictable than in past years. For those reasons, it will be hard to pinpoint an exact price until the design process is finalized and construction bids are awarded. That being said, estimates from our architect indicate that we should be able to meet our current needs and goals for around 12-13 million dollars. We will be prepared to modify the current design as needed to stay within our means and make sure our highest priorities are met.

How will this be funded?

Thanks to the careful management of D106 funds by previous and current school board members, we have money in our reserves that can be used to partially fund this project. The amount we spend out of our reserves will be guided by Board policy and best practice to ensure the district remains in a strong financial position. The remaining costs would be funded through the sale of bonds.

How much will this cost the residents of Highlands?

The cost to taxpayers will be determined by the amount of our bond sale. As an example, if we sell 8 million dollars in bonds, the tax increase for the median D106 home ($401,000) will be approximately $80 per year.

What are the next steps?

In the coming months, we will collaborate with our architect, construction manager, D106 staff, and parents to discuss the details of the project. Once these details are established, we will be able to determine the final design, timeline, and cost.

A few important notes...

• We are very early in the planning process, so the details provided in this email may change based on unforeseen opportunities or challenges.
• The purpose of this work is to provide the students of Highlands with the best possible education. While our teachers are by far the most important variable in that equation, the school building and learning environment are important.
• As we move through this process, we will provide you with updates and information.
• You can use the link below to access more detailed information.

Dec 14 Board Meeting Summary

Below is a summary of the agenda items and action taken at the December 14 Board of Education meeting.

• Several Highlands students were recognized. Heyden Trottier was honored as the winner of the Holiday Card Design. Jonas Magpayo, Mia Monik, and Adam Rus were recognized for being selected to participate in the ILMEA Honor Jazz Festival.
• The Superintendent's Report included information about the middle school principal hiring process, a COVID update, and Superintendent evaluation and goals. 
• The Board approved the administration's recommendation to move forward with the building addition and renovation project. 
• The Board awarded a mechanical improvements bid to Oak Brook Mechanical Services. 
• The Board approved the 2022-23 final school calendar.
• The Board approved the consent agenda, which included minutes from prior regularly scheduled meetings, financial business, and a personnel report.
• Consistent with guidelines of the Open Meetings Act (PA 93-0523), the Board approved the destruction of closed session audio recordings that are more than 18 months old and made public the closed session meeting minutes from select meetings in the past 12 months. The minutes which were made public can be accessed via BoardDocs using the link below. These minutes can be found in the "Action from Closed Session" agenda item of the 12/14/21 Board meeting.

More information on each of these topics can be accessed using the links below.

It's a pleasure to serve the students, staff, and parents of Highlands. Have a wonderful holiday break and enjoy your time with family and friends.

John Munch, Superintendent