North Cook News

The Arlington Heights School Board received a presentation on the district's five-year facilities plan during a meeting on Dec. 13.

Ryan Schultz, Director of Facilities Management of District 25, reported on the five-year plan, which he said was based on five priorities: Safety and mandatory policies relating to state code; preservation of the facilities; extending the useful life of those facilities; improving the efficiency of the facilities; as well as aesthetics and other enhancements to the grounds.

"These are not major capital improvements or renovations, but smaller, one-year plans to extend the life of district assets or improve them," Schultz told the board. "Again, we're really trying to maintain our facilities kind of as an as-is status,"

Schultz explained that the district at this point doesn't want to make "drastic, huge, new and bright, shiny new things," but rather, the district wants to maintain and improve its current assets.

"We're looking to really keep our buildings in a shape that they were intended to be with newer finishes and updating each of these systems, and that as they come along and as are needed," he said.

The district will spend just over $34 million over the next five years to put those maintenance plans into action, he said, with the biggest expenditure of $10 million coming in 2024 to "align with other additions and renovations in the district," he said.
All capital project plans are intended to be funded by Referendum bond proceeds through 2026, he said, although that doesn't include a major planned kindergarten expansion, which will be funded through the major capital improvements fund.

Among the projects slated to be completed in 2023 are district-wide improvements to doors and security for offices and classrooms, as well as Phase 2 of the district’s automation plan, as well as other upgrades that have been in the works in recent years, Schultz added.

The district also plans to replace the flooring in the Ivy Hall corridors, as well as pipe and plumbing replacements at Westgate and Dunton, and window replacements at Miner. Upgrades and improvements are also planned in various locations, including air conditioning improvements as well as lighting upgrades on an as-needed basis.