CCSD 62 staff present $31M–$45M range to deliver full-day kindergarten across district

District 62 staff and construction partners presented preliminary cost estimates and a timeline on March 17 for a districtwide shift to full-day kindergarten, with an all-in project estimate ranging from about $31 million to nearly $45 million.

The district's design-and-construction presentation, led by district staff and Pepper Construction, reviewed renovation and limited-addition options at each elementary school. Pepper Construction project manager Kurt Buecke described the figure as a high-level, time‑sensitive range while the design is still developing and variables — including tariffs, material lead times and permitting — remain uncertain.

Why it matters: Expanding to full-day kindergarten affects classroom space, staffing needs and the district capital plan. The board was told the district does not plan to ask taxpayers for new money and will fund the work from existing fund balance.

Key details presented

• Total project range: Pepper Construction presented a total project cost range of roughly $31,000,000 to $45,000,000. That total included construction costs and what the presenters termed owner/soft costs (furniture, IT equipment, fees).

• School-level examples: Individual school estimates included ranges such as South Elementary at approximately $800,000–$1,300,000; Cumberland near $940,000–$1,500,000; Terrace around $1.2M–$2M; Orchard Place $1.5M–$2.3M; Forest roughly $2M–$3.1M; Plainfield $1.8M–$2.7M; Iroquois $3.2M–$4.8M; Central $5.2M–$7.5M; and North (the largest) included a kindergarten and cafeteria addition contributing to the highest per-site estimate.

• Funding: A district representative said the board will not seek a referendum and "we are not going to go to the taxpayers and ask for more money. We are not going to have a referendum, or anything like that. We're gonna use our existing fund balance to be able to fund this project." The transcript also notes that the district has paid down roughly $5 million of operating debt in the previous two years, which staff said left capacity to use fund balance for the work.

• Schedule and permitting: Most renovation work was described as scheduled for summer 2026; however, additions — which require municipal review, zoning and Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) or stormwater permits — must be approved and are on a longer timeline. Presenters said additions must be in place before fall 2026 for classrooms to be ready that school year. Board members and presenters discussed the need to coordinate permitting and to monitor tariffs and lead times.

• Cost escalation: Presenters said the estimate includes contingency/escalation assumptions to account for potential tariff impacts and supply-chain delays.

What board members asked and staff commitments

Board members asked about priorities (must-haves vs. nice-to-haves), impact of tariffs and sources for equipment that might have imported components. Pepper Construction and district staff said they will prioritize within available funds as design advances and will provide weekly or biweekly updates to the board. Contractors noted some equipment (HVAC, certain plumbing fixtures) can have foreign-made components and suggested pre-planning or U.S. sourcing where feasible.

Next steps

Staff and architects will continue schematic and design development, refine the cost range, engage principals and teacher focus groups about classroom layout and materials, and pursue required municipal permits for additions. Presenters said the district will issue bids on portions of the work and will update the board regularly.