District 102 superintendent details $82 million facilities plan; community questions fate of Barnsdale Science Center

La Grange Park'area District 102 Superintendent Dr. Chris Covino on Monday outlined a proposed facilities and program plan tied to a referendum that will appear on the April 2 ballot, saying the district needs roughly $82 million to repair aging buildings, improve safety and create STEM spaces across all elementary schools.

Covino told the La Grange Park Village Board that an architectural assessment by STR estimated about $35 million in critical infrastructure repairs in the next five to ten years, including roofs, foundations, plumbing and aging HVAC and electrical systems. The plan would address overcrowding, create permanent STEM labs in each elementary school, add accessibility improvements such as elevators at Caset and Ogden, and upgrade secure entrances and messaging systems.

The measure would be financed by a 25-year bond; Covino cited an analysis by Raymond James estimating that a homeowner with a $500,000 house would pay roughly $532 per year, about $44 a month, if the referendum passes. He said the district currently spends $2 million to $4 million annually on repairs and has not had a building referendum since 2003.

Covino said his team formed a community committee of about 35 people and later engaged roughly 125 community members during a strategic-planning refresh begun last April. The plan was driven by six priorities the district identified during that process: overcrowding at elementary schools, safety and security upgrades, accessibility improvements, classroom and instructional modernization, creation of STEM spaces and remediation of deteriorating building conditions.

"We began with a committee and community conversations because…