District 301 Facilities Update: Track, Lily Lake HVAC and Parking Evaluations Highlighted

District 301’s facilities director updated the board on capital projects Wednesday, outlining near-term work (roofs and classroom mobiles) and longer-term priorities including a full-depth high school track replacement, a likely multi-million-dollar Lily Lake HVAC replacement and options for parking and stadium improvements.

Dan (facilities director) told the board his team expects the Howard B. Thompson roof project to be complete around August and said classroom mobile units for Country Trails arrived on site a week-plus behind schedule but will be in place in time for staff return. The district’s architects and construction managers are compiling a multi-year capital facilities plan that will be presented in August or September to the newly formed facilities committee.

Why it matters: the district said building-envelope and mechanical systems (roofs, HVAC, electrical and plumbing) are high priority to keep schools operational. Several projects discussed could require multi-million-dollar budgets and would affect instructional space, extracurricular scheduling and district finances.

Key details from the update: - Track and stadium: the high school track was resurfaced about 15 years ago and is “past its life expectancy,” Dan said; he recommended a full-depth track replacement and described alternates for drainage and concrete curbing that would preserve future options (turf, bleacher work). He said a broader stadium renovation package (bleachers, new press box, turf, restrooms and ancillary buildings) could reach roughly $5 million, and bleacher replacement alone could be about $1.5 million. Board members discussed bidding the track now for spring construction to capture contractor availability and potential cost savings. - Lily Lake HVAC: Dan said Lily Lake’s HVAC is a multi-year concern and could be roughly a $2 million project when fully scoped; he recommended prioritizing that system to keep the building operational. - Parking-lot feasibility at Central High School: initial engineering indicated the proposed addition of about 100 parking stalls would be costly because of underground detention, drive relocation and safety work; an initial budget number discussed earlier in the process was roughly $1 million for a paved lot. - CDGS (girls softball organization) inquiry: a girls softball organization offered to fund an initial site evaluation for Lily Lake improvements; Dan said the organization proposed paying $5,000–$7,000 for a feasibility evaluation to determine if improvements are feasible and provide a budget estimate. - Utilities and additions: Dan clarified that the well installed for a recent addition was sized to serve new restrooms and a future third floor, not water in each classroom; installing sinks in the current classrooms now would be “insanely costly,” he said, because of required drainage and concrete work.

Discussion versus decision: the board did not approve capital work at the meeting; Dan asked for direction on whether to proceed with bidding or evaluations (for example, track bids or CDGS-paid evaluations). Board members asked for cost estimates and recommended bringing bids or firm estimates back in August to support any decision to proceed.

Next steps: Dan and staff will coordinate with the facilities committee and the finance office to prepare bids, evaluations and cost estimates; board members flagged the possibility of doing the track in spring 2026 if bids are favorable and urged prompt decisions if the district wants spring construction.