The first pieces of the Washington Elementary School renovation project took place Wednesday night at the District 117 School Board meeting.
The board approved a bid of $59,000 for asbestos abatement in the school’s hallways for M&O Environmental Company out of Peoria. The work will take place over spring break this year, with further asbestos abatement set to take place over the summer in classrooms and other high-traffic areas of the school.
Other portions of the project were met with delays. District Consultant Bob Roads says that supply chain issues have caused things to get backed up sooner than expected: “The district’s main project has been delayed a week. It’s now going to be opened a week from today. I think the reason for that is probably twofold. One was the decision by the board, which I think was a good decision, to provide temporary classrooms which allow construction project to proceed through next Fall, which I think will substantially reduce the cost of the project and probably open it up to more bidders.”
The bids for the general contractor and the modular classrooms placed to the south of JMS will occur in the middle of next week. The modular classrooms will be used for the duration of the Washington Elementary project and then, for Eisenhower Elementary students when their renovation project is being completed.
The board also approved seeking bids for three pole lights for the east side teacher’s parking lot at JMS. The electricity wires will be ran underneath the drive and provide light on an otherwise completely dark lot. Superintendent Steve Ptacek suggested that when the electricity conduit is ran underneath the drive for the light poles that ethernet and/or broadband cables can be ran at the same time to have for the modular classrooms once they are installed.