School District 97 is preparing to issue $2.8 million in bonds to pay for building improvements and to augment the district’s working cash. The district will borrow $2.1 million to pay for a variety of building improvements and $700,000 to augment its working cash fund.
Beye School will be the biggest beneficiary this year. The district plans to spend $820,000 at Beye. The biggest expense at Beye will be $415,000 to replace all the windows and frames at the school. Plans also call for spending $290,000 to replace the roof.
Dist. 97 plans on spending $463,000 at Lincoln School. The biggest single expense at Lincoln will be $250,000 for new air handlers in the media center, gym and auditorium.
Mann School will get $348,000 worth of improvements with the major expense being $250,000 to relocate and remodel the office and kindergarten. The district will also upgrade second and third floor corridor lighting at Mann and upgrade the lighting in the auditorium.
The district will replace the boilers at Irving School at a cost of $250,000 and will spend $24,500 at Longfellow to upgrade lighting and remodel the entrance vestibule.
Most of the work will be done next summer.
“We have very old buildings,” said Gary Lonquist, assistant superintendent for finance and operations. Lonquist said that maintenance must be done on the buildings on a regular basis.
“Deferred maintenance is not a savings,” said Lonquist.
Dist. 97 has issued working cash bonds for a number of years to shore up its gradually declining financial situation. The board will hold a public hearing on its bond proposal during the regular school board meeting which will be held at Beye School, located at 230 N. Cuyler at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 26.
A new finance advisory committee
The board has decided to create a new finance advisory committee to help evaluate the district’s financial condition and suggest course corrections and future options.
The committee will include Lonquist, two school board members, a principal, a representative from the Oak Park Teachers Association, a representative of the Parent Teacher Organization council, and three other members of the community.
“It is important that we reach out beyond the school community,” said board member Peter Barber.
Strategic planning help
Tonight the board will hold a special meeting at 6 p.m. at Dist. 97 headquarters to interview four strategic planning firms that are bidding to do the district’s first strategic plan in 17 years. The four firms are Daniels and Associates, MGT, Red Oaks, and Cambridge Group. The public is invited to attend.