District 211 presents year‑8 update to 10‑year facilities and capital improvement plan; summer projects include locker rooms, auditorium and LED upgrades

Township High School District 211 presented an update on its 10‑year facilities and capital improvement plan, noting the district will enter year eight of the program this summer and outlining planned summer 2025 projects and future work.

Chief Operating Officer Lauren Hummel and Director of Facilities and Purchasing Ricky Sparks told the board that ongoing, annual work includes classroom and mechanical equipment replacement, and that the projects still outstanding on the original plan include locker room renovations at Palatine and Hoffman Estates high schools. Highlights for the upcoming summer include:

- Palatine High School locker room renovation: improved accessibility and ADA compliance, upgraded HVAC, electrical and plumbing systems, new lockers, ceilings and lighting, and a renovated wellness office to better support student health and athletics. - Conant High School auditorium improvements: ADA upgrades, new LED stage and house lighting and control-system upgrades, and stage revamp including curtains and rigging. - Schaumburg High School culinary arts lab renovation: conversion to a commercial kitchen lab, expanded hands‑on learning space, updated ventilation and AV systems. - Conant High School roof replacement (approximately 36,000 sq. ft.) and masonry repairs at Schaumburg High School. - Replacement of multiple air‑handler units at Conant and lighting upgrades across stadiums and auditoriums with LED systems to take advantage of incentive rebates; stadium lights slated for update before June 30 to qualify for rebates. - Routine life‑cycle maintenance: paving patchwork, bollards at ground-level school entrances, tennis court resurfacing, gym floor recoats, select flooring replacements, and track resurfacing at two schools.

Sparks said many auditorium and applied‑technology cooling projects have completed planning or early work; auditorium upgrades will be completed in phases, with one school receiving work this coming year and others thereafter. He explained that some sensory‑lab work at Palatine High School will be performed by the district’s Central Maintenance Force (CMF) rather than as a separately bid contract. In response to a board question, Sparks described the sensory‑lab work as internal reconstruction that will include painting, furniture and finishes and reallocation of existing special‑education space to serve physically handicapped students.

Why it matters: The board’s capital and facility decisions support instructional programs (culinary lab, applied technology) and safety/security upgrades (bollards, cameras, fire‑panel replacements). The LED and equipment replacements also reduce operating costs and pursue available utility rebates.

Board members asked about project timing and budgeting. Hummel said most projects on the agenda have been approved in prior meetings and appear in the district’s multi‑year financial projection; she noted that some projects carry multi‑year costs. Future bids for security cameras and gymnasium lighting are expected in May; planning for summer 2026 work has already begun.

Sparks and Hummel said photography and project documentation will be provided to the board and community when work completes. Bids on the agenda are scheduled to be completed in 2025 if approved.

Ending: The board proceeded to roll-call votes on consent and bid items later in the meeting; details and bid documents are in the board packet.