Plans to upgrade schools in Flossmoor School District 161 are underway as the Board of Education discusses further upgrades to playgrounds and infrastructure.
Construction at Heather Hill Elementary began on March 3, with crews starting excavation for a new addition. The project will include a more secure vestibule and new offices for the principal, assistant principal, main office staff, and school nurse.
“Now that the weather is cooperating, work is moving full speed ahead,” Superintendent Dana Smith said in an update at the March 10 board meeting. “Over the next 11 weeks, the crews are going to work exclusively on the outside of the building before connecting the new office structure to the main building once school is done for the year on Friday, May 30.”
Smith said that Pepper Construction, the firm managing the project, added a plexiglass window to the barrier so curious students could see the progress of the construction.
Construction on the Heather Hill addition is scheduled to finish by the end of July. Cleaning, furniture installation and technology setup as part of a schoolwide classroom refresh will follow.
If all goes as planned, teachers will be given classroom access the week before school starts on Aug. 25. New exterior doors throughout Heather Hill, approved at the Feb. 24 board meeting, are included in the plan.
Serena Hills also is scheduled for a classroom refresh this year. As part of the upgrades, including new furniture and paint, Heather Hill and Serena Hills will get new classroom technology.
The board voted to purchase interactive flat panel monitors and stands for each classroom at the Feb. 24 meeting. Teachers also will have microphones for larger spaces so that students can hear instruction. Board members are considering a bid to update network cables during this project.
The board will vote on playground construction at the two district schools in an upcoming meeting. Heather Hill’s south playground’s estimated cost is $294,239 to remove the existing playground, install the new equipment and add artificial turf surfacing with underlayment. Serena Hills swing set replacement is estimated at $204,559 for removal and installation, artificial turf, underlayments and landscaping.
The board also is expected to vote to approve a small amount of asbestos abatement in Heather Hill and Serena Hills while crews complete the other work.
Improvements to the other three District 161 schools are scheduled for next summer. These include classroom refreshes at Flossmoor Hills, Parker Junior High, and Western Avenue. Flossmoor Hills will get a new playground, and Parker Junior High will have rooftop HVAC units replaced.
Associate Superintendent Fran LaBella said classroom refresh plans include new interactive flat panels in all District 161 classrooms. The board will be required to vote on these upgrades next spring.
