Glen Ellyn District 41 directs architects to design building addition concepts

GLEN ELLYN – Glen Ellyn School District 41 Board of Education members on June 27 voted 4-2 to direct the district's new architects to start designing additions to the district's four elementary schools to accommodate full-day kindergarten and an addition to Hadley Junior High School to replace its portable classrooms.

Board President Erica Nelson, along with Vice President Drew Ellis and members Patrick Escalante and Willie DiFabio, voted to approve a $32,800 contract with the district's new architects, GreenAssociates Inc., to provide a total of 14 concept drawings for the four elementary schools and Hadley Junior High.

Voting "no" were board members Kurt Buchholz and Stephanie Clark. Member Joe Bochenski was absent from the meeting.

Buchholz said he didn't think the board was committed yet to the district offering full-day kindergarten.

"I think we should figure out what we are doing and then bring them in," he said. "Otherwise, we are going to pay the architect for something we may never do."

Clark said she thought the board needed more information before moving ahead with the project. She noted GreenAssociates is looking at a plan for two kindergarten rooms at each school.

"Maybe two rooms aren't enough," Clark said. "We need to get all the information. We need to get all the information and establish our priorities."

A District 41 task force recently recommended the district move forward with a $21.5 million project to modify the district's four elementary schools to accommodate full-day kindergarten and address building deficiencies. The task force also recommended moving ahead with a $15 million project to build 10 to 12 new classrooms at Hadley to replace the school's portables.

Those cost estimates were supplied by the district's former architects.

"We want to get a more accurate idea of what we're going to the community with, if we decide to," DiFabio said. "We have to get engaged; if not, we push the whole decision-making process back."

Three concepts will be developed for each school, and two conceptual designs will be developed for Hadley. One of the concept plans for the elementary schools would be to provide two kindergarten rooms at each school, according to concept planning goals. The other two concepts would include other items, in addition to the two kindergarten rooms.

The concept diagrams would be used to update project estimates.

One of the concept plans for Hadley calls for building 10 to 12 classrooms to replace the school's portable classrooms. Portables have already been removed at the district's elementary schools.

Another concept plan for Hadley includes building 10 to 12 classrooms at the school, along with an improved multipurpose room/cafeteria that would provide seating for 380 students. The concept plan also provides such things as enlarged science labs and improved music rooms and department storage.