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Board approves use of $5 million in bond savings for Central High School safety remodel
Summary
The District 51 Board of Education directed staff to proceed with a comprehensive remodeling project at Central High School that consolidates entrances and improves adjacency between classrooms and administration, using $5 million in savings from the district bond program; the board voted unanimously to approve the resolution.
The Board of Education voted unanimously to direct the superintendent to proceed with a comprehensive remodeling project at Central High School using $5 million in savings realized within the district’s bond program.
Reading a prepared resolution, the board described the Central High School project as a design “that improves the adjacency of classrooms to administrative offices” and “reduces the number of buildings and entrances to better support a single point of entry strategy to align with best practices in school safety.” The resolution states the $5 million are savings from the safety and security allocation within the existing bond program and that the use of those savings “remain within the overall bond authorization approved by voters and does not exceed the total bond program budget.”
Board action and vote
A board member moved to approve the resolution and, after brief discussion confirming the savings source, the board took a roll call vote. The recorded vote was unanimous: Mr. Chavez — yes; Mrs. Evenson — yes; Mrs. Heights — yes; Mr. Jones — yes; Ms. Lima — yes. The motion passed and the board directed the superintendent (or designee) to proceed with the project.
Why it matters
Board members and staff framed the decision as a reinvestment of bond savings into a safety‑focused redesign at Central High School intended to reduce access points and improve supervision. Board discussion referenced a prior workshop that presented the bond savings and the proposed layout, and the board confirmed the funds were within the existing voter‑approved bond authorization.
Next steps
The board instructed district staff and the district’s design team to proceed with the comprehensive remodel using the identified savings. District staff (Clint, identified in the meeting as available to answer questions) will oversee implementation and answer technical questions during project planning. The board did not provide a construction schedule or completion date in the public record at this meeting.
