It’s going to be a busy summer of construction work and renovations in Indian Prairie School District 204.
After voters last fall approved a referendum to fund up to $420 million in safety, security, and facility improvements, administrators have gotten to work planning some of the highest-priority projects.
Current work underway at IPSD 204 with new projects on the horizon
Work is already underway on secure entryways at 10 elementary schools and renovation of the auditorium at Waubonsie Valley High School.
Now, the school board approved $7.2 million of bids Monday night to cover several other projects to take place this summer. These include new playgrounds at four elementary schools, full flooring replacement at six elementary schools, partial flooring replacement at six others, paving work at three schools, and roofing or gutter work at two facilities.
Here’s a quick look at these upcoming projects.
Playgrounds
Playgrounds ranging from 20 to 37 years old at Brooks, Steck, and Welch elementary schools, as well as Prairie Children Preschool, are set to be brand-new by the end of this summer at a total cost of $604,973.
Updates to these aging playgrounds will bring them up to today’s standards for safety and accessibility — plus create a fun boost for recess, playtime, and the educational benefits these breaks provide, administrators say.
Flooring
New flooring that won’t require waxing or yearly wax stripping — and can go a long way toward revitalizing the look and feel of a school — is on the way at a dozen elementary schools, for a total cost of $3.1 million, officials said.
Full flooring replacements — minus the gyms at each of these schools — will take place at Brooks, Georgetown, Kendall, McCarty, Owen, and Springbrook elementary schools. Conversely, the other six schools — Clow, Graham, Peterson, Longwood, White Eagle, and Young — will see new floors installed in the gyms, and, in some cases, stages and multipurpose rooms.
Paving
Parking lot paving is on the docket this summer at McCarty and Welch elementary schools as well as Neuqua Valley High School. Contracts totaling $2.1 million will rebuild and replace pavement that is original to each building and up to 30 years old. Administrators said this work, identified as a priority in the district’s master facility plan, has been planned but not yet addressed for the past three years.
Roofing
The top of Steck Elementary will get a refresh with a new roof this summer, replacing an original one that’s past its useful life with a steep-slope roof for a cost of $1.3 million.
Gutter replacement is on the way at Neuqua Valley High School to stop water infiltration into the building, administrators said. The school board approved a bid worth $88,900 to cover the gutter installation as well as masonry cleaning.
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