Unit District 196 officials told the board on Sept. 23, 2025, that the high school gym construction is behind schedule and the district has approved hiring PMA Securities as municipal adviser to proceed with debt certificates to fund the project. District staff and the architect said the contractor’s original contractual completion date of Dec. 31, 2025, is unlikely to be met; the contractor’s current schedule targets a March 9, 2026 handover.

The schedule change matters because the facility is a major capital project financed in part by bonds and district debt instruments. Board approval of the municipal advisory agreement with PMA Securities allows staff to proceed with planning and issuance of debt certificates to complete project financing.

Architect Ryan Don described weather and sequencing challenges that delayed work. "Contractually, the district is still that day. But in reality, it's not gonna hit that day," Don said, referring to the Dec. 31 contractual date. He and district staff said unusually wet spring and summer weather and extreme heat episodes disrupted concrete pours, steel and trade sequencing. Don said the contractor’s updated schedule shows site cleaning complete in early March and a March 9 first-occupancy target.

District staff walked the board through elements still to finish, including roofing, interior finishes, the hardwood court installation and specialty trades such as the auditorium and audiovisual systems. The administration noted that certain finishing tasks (for example, installing and allowing curing of the wood gym floor) require strict sequencing and multi-week curing windows that cannot be compressed without risking quality.

Board members asked about contractual remedies. The architect and staff said the contract contains no liquidated-damages clause tied to the gym completion because proving quantifiable damages is difficult for that specific project; staff explained a damages mechanism would be easier to apply to projects such as a cafeteria with measurable service interruptions. District staff also said construction momentum and workforce levels have recently increased and that many trades have been working extended hours to recover schedule.

Separately, the board unanimously approved a municipal advisory agreement with PMA Securities, a financial-advisory firm, to assist the district with issuing debt certificates to fully fund the gym project. The motion to approve the PMA Securities agreement passed unanimously.

District presenters said the schedule projection is realistic given weather and sequencing constraints but acknowledged completion could shift. The board directed staff to continue biweekly owner-contractor coordination and to update the board on schedule progress and any material changes to financing plans.