Bower and Lowell are getting new playgrounds!
Board Accepts Summer Playground Proposals
At their January 11, 2023 meeting, the Board approved proposals to complete playground replacements at Bower and Lowell Elementary Schools with construction taking place this coming summer. Last January 2022, the Board approved an elementary playground renovation plan to replace playgrounds at all 13 of the District’s elementary schools. The anticipated elementary playground renovation schedule is as follows:
- Summer 2022 — Lincoln Elementary, Johnson Elementary — complete
- Summer 2023 — Bower Elementary, Lowell Elementary
- Summer 2024 — Hawthorne Elementary (swings only), Pleasant Hill Elementary, Sandburg Elementary
- Summer 2025 — Whittier Elementary, Wiesbrook Elementary
- Summer 2026 — Emerson Elementary, Washington Elementary
- Summer 2027 — Longfellow Elementary, Madison Elementary
In addition to the playground replacements and in keeping true to the Board’s commitment to be fiscally responsible and seek opportunities to address high-priority capital facility projects, the Board approved bids for $9.3 million in Summer 2023 projects earlier this school year in November 2022. This summer’s projects identified include:
- Flooring projects at Hawthorne, Longfellow, and Sandburg
- Roofing projects at Hawthorne and Wheaton North
- Paving and concrete projects at Wheaton North and Wheaton Warrenville South
- Mechanical, ceiling, and lighting replacements at Lowell
- Ceiling and lighting replacements at Washington
- Library Learning Center renovations at Johnson and Whittier
High-priority capital projects such as flooring, roofing, paving, and mechanical will be paid through the District’s FY24 Operating Budget along with the District’s fund balance. Library Learning Center renovations at Johnson and Whittier Elementary Schools will be paid through developer donations associated with new construction within the District, a State of Illinois reimbursement grant, and some operating fund balance.
District 200 continues to make excellent progress in ensuring all students are able to learn in the best and safest possible learning environments. The Board of Education has continued to make progress in improving our infrastructure to provide the best and safest possible learning environments. Since the Summer of 2016 (FY17), the Board has spent more than $37.7 million, using a combination of fund balance and operating dollars, on high-priority capital facilities projects like roofs, mechanical systems, flooring, plumbing, and more. Looking ahead, by the Summer of 2023 (FY24), the Board anticipates a total spend of at least $45 million over 8 years.
