Here’s what’s going on at District 205…
By Chris Fox
For The Elmhurst Independent
The Elmhurst Community Unit School District 205 Board held a meeting on May 9 at the District 205 Center, 162 S. York St. Two board members—Dr. Margaret Harrell and Chris Blum—were absent from the meeting.
Parents speak up about larger classes
The public comments portion of the meeting included remarks from 10 parents of district students. All of the 10 parents who spoke expressed concern about larger class sizes during the next year. Several of the speakers are parents of children who attend Jackson Elementary School.
Some of the speakers stated that 84 students will attend third grade at the school in the 2017-18 school year. They stated third graders at Jackson will be divided into three classes, or 28 students per class. Multiple speakers advised the board and administration to consider adding a fourth section for third graders at Jackson to decrease the class size to 21 students per class. While most of the students spoke about class sizes at Jackson, some of the parents who spoke also asked the board and administration to consider adding additional classes at Hawthorne Elementary School and Lincoln Elementary School.
District continues relationships with Wight, McHugh
The board directed the district administration to continue working with the architecture firm of Wight and Company and the construction firm of James McHugh Construction Company as the district considers major capital projects. Those projects would be funded if voters approved a referendum proposition that could be on the ballot in March of 2018. The administration, which recommended a continuation of the relationships, noted the district has longstanding histories with both Wight and Company and James McHugh Construction Company. The district used the services of both firms in the renovation and construction of York High School, which was completed about 15 years ago. According to the district, that $75 million project was completed ahead of schedule and under budget.
Board member John McDonough stated the board and administration will need to demonstrate to the public that the district is receiving a good value in continuing to work with both firms. He added that the district has a good track record with the two companies.
Board president Shannon Ebner said the district should continue to take advantage of the relationships it has with the two firms as the district gathers information about possible future projects.
District Superintendent Dr. David Moyer said the administration believes the district needs to secure the services of an architect and a construction firm, and the sooner it does that, the better.
Board member Jim Collins said that while the two firms have served the district well for more than two decades, the prospect of competition from other firms could be as beneficial as actual competition. As the discussion of the issue concluded, Collins suggested that the district proceed to negotiate with Wight and Company and James McHugh Construction Company. Should the administration be unhappy with the results of those negotiations, the district could keep the door open to seeking a request for qualifications (RFQ) from other firms.
Potential projects may need referendum approval
Moyer provided the board with some rough cost estimates for potential construction projects that could take place if voters approved a referendum next year. At the previous meeting, one of the district’s financial advisers provided scenarios for funding bond sales of three different amounts—$100 million, $128 million and $151 million. Moyer stressed that the figures he was mentioning were very preliminary, and that the community would ultimately decide what it was willing to support.
Moyer said a reconstruction of Lincoln Elementary School could cost from $27- to $31-million. That cost of replacing the school on its existing site was tied to a 70,000 square-foot building with a capacity of 560 students. Building a smaller school—56,000 square feet—would cost about $21- to $24-million. Moyer said a major renovation of Field Elementary School could cost from $14- to $18-million, while an addition to Edison Elementary School could cost $7- to $10-million.
Moyer also noted that the auditorium at York was left off the construction project of about 15 years ago because of high costs. He said that he did not know how the district would pay for a renovation of the auditorium with its existing operating funds. At the previous board meeting on April 25, Moyer said the York auditorium was in desperate need of renovation. According to the district, an upgrade of York’s auditorium could cost from $4- to $8-million.
More public input sought for referendum
There are varying options and nuances to repaying the potential bonds related to the passage of a referendum, according to Moyer. Under the scenario of a $100 million referendum, he said the projected increased cost to a taxpayer owning a home with a median value in the district (about $387,000) would be about $150 in the first year, about $130 in the second year and $18 in years three through 17.
Moyer noted the district will seek extensive community input this fall to learn what projects the residents of the district would support, and how much they would be willing to spend.
New principals approved
Board members voted unanimously during the meeting to approve the hiring of Heidi Thomas as the principal of Field Elementary School. The board also voted unanimously to approve the hiring of Timothy Riordan as the principal of Hawthorne Elementary School. Both Thomas and Riordan have been hired with a start date of Aug. 1, 2017, and at an annual base salary of about $111,000. Thomas has most recently served as an assistant principal in Elk Grove Village Community Consolidated District 59. Riordan has spent the current school year as an assistant principal at Hawthorne and Lincoln schools. (See story elsewhere in this issue of the Independent.)
The board will hold its next meeting on May 23.
