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Glen Ellyn SD 41: Kindergarten center near completion but DuPage County permit delays threaten bus access
Summary
Project manager Jack Hayes told the board the new kindergarten center is on track for students and under the original $28,000,000 budget, but repeated DuPage County permit comments on roadway work could delay public/busing access tied to Bloomingdale Road.
Jack Hayes, a presenter for the kindergarten center project, told the Glen Ellyn School District 41 board that building work is progressing rapidly and the project is expected to open for the start of school, but repeated permit comments from DuPage County on roadway improvements could delay public and busing access from Bloomingdale Road.
Hayes said exterior masonry, window frames and canopy steel are in place, many interior ceilings and finishes are arriving and “a lot of these walls that you see as green board are now already painted.” He told the board the district’s original budget benchmark of $28,000,000 will not be exceeded and there should be a “nice little cushion” to cover unexpected items.
The immediate risk, Hayes said, is not construction but permitting. White and Company submitted the first roadway permit application in September 2024 and the project has received a “sixth round” of DuPage County comments in the most recent review. “Each time, we get new comments,” Hayes said. “It’s been really frustrating.”
Because the Village of Glen Ellyn’s permit is conditioned on DuPage County sign-off, Hayes said neither the county nor village permits are in hand. That leaves the district with construction access but uncertain public access to the kindergarten driveway and the planned center turn lane from Bloomingdale Road. “We have access to the site. We have construction access. But the public access, the busing access could become an issue,” he said.
Board members and staff asked about efforts to compress the comment-and-response cycle. Hayes and the consultants said White and Company has repeatedly requested meetings with DuPage County to resolve comments before resubmission; Hayes said the most recent round of comments appears detailed enough that further substantive items may be unlikely, but he acknowledged the timing remains uncertain. The district has a contractor under contract for the roadway work but cannot proceed without the county permit.
The board was told the permitting delay could push some roadway work into the summer months, which may complicate the contractor’s schedule and the district’s plan for readying bus circulation and public entry. Staff named Dave and Eric as district contacts working with the consultant to move the review forward.
No formal board action was taken during the update; staff described it as a construction and permitting status report and an operational caution for the start-of-school timeline.
The board will continue to monitor permit responses and coordinate with White and Company and DuPage County; staff did not provide a firm new deadline for county approval.
