Board approves $27,500 forensic assessment after months of humidity complaints at Flossmoor Hills

The Flossmoor District 161 Board of Education on Aug. 18 approved a $27,500 contract with the Farnsworth Group for a forensic assessment of moisture and humidity problems affecting Flossmoor Hills and Western Avenue elementary schools.

Board members cited long-running concerns about condensation and water collecting above ceilings connected to unit ventilators; district staff said the forensic work will include thermal/hygrometer monitoring and, if necessary, air-pressurization testing to identify pathways for warm, humid air.

Why it matters: staff and board members described the work as a diagnostic step that could point to relatively modest fixes or to major building-envelope work. Board members asked whether spending $27,500 to find the root cause could obligate the district to much larger, costly construction later.

Superintendent Dr. Smith said the investigation is intended to give the district a clear plan. "This kind of first few phases here, the first kind of phase, they've got 1 to 2 weeks, and then this phase 2 with the more detailed testing, goes into another week to 2 weeks," he said, describing the proposed schedule and the goal of implementing any required solutions next summer. Dr. Smith also thanked operations staff for preparing buildings for the start of school.

Board member Childress pressed for immediate access and timing: "If we approve this tonight, will they be able to get in here, like, this week?" District staff responded that Farnsworth had been given a preliminary heads up and that testing was tentatively scheduled for the coming days if the contract were approved.

District staff described the technician steps: install thermal hydrometers to measure temperature and humidity, conduct air-pressurization tests, review drawings and prior testing, and evaluate mechanical controls and insulation. Staff and the architect said the goal is to find a targeted, implementable solution; they warned the possible range of remedies extends from limited insulation or sealing work to larger investments such as makeup/outside-air systems or more extensive envelope work.

Board members asked officials about warranty and follow-up. District staff said construction elements would carry standard one-year warranties and that the consultant would return with recommendations and cost estimates; the board requested an update at its next meeting in September.

Formal action: a motion to accept the Farnsworth Group proposal for $27,500 passed after roll call; district staff said Farnsworth would begin data collection as soon as access and weather conditions allowed and that the administration would update the board and community as information becomes available.

Context and cost concerns: several trustees emphasized they understood the underlying problem in general terms — warm, humid air entering ceiling plenums and condensing on cold piping — but argued the forensic tests are intended to show specific locations and mechanisms so the district can compare cheaper local fixes to larger capital solutions. During discussion, a trustee estimated that a full mechanical remediation could run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars for a building; administrators said exact costs are unknown until the consultant reports.

What happens next: district staff said Farnsworth had been asked to provide any standard hourly fee schedule that might apply to incidental work; staff will share that with trustees. The administration also set an expectation to brief the board by the Sept. 22 board meeting or sooner as data arrives.

No independent legal authorities or statutes were cited as a requirement for this contract; the effort was presented as a facilities diagnostic and capital-planning step.