CUSD 200 trustees receive budget and site-logistics update for Monroe, Edison and Franklin middle-school additions

CUSD 200 trustees heard a budget-control and site-logistics update on the district's three middle-school capital projects for Monroe, Edison and Franklin during a meeting that moved into a workshop setting. Joe Popaniklis of Nicholas and Associates told the board the district expects to implement the construction logistics plan in June 2025 and that new additions are scheduled for completion in the fall of 2026 with restored site use in spring 2027. "June 2025 is when we would implement this logistics plan," Popaniklis said.

The update covered site staging, parking changes, phasing and an overall cost review. Mike Dolter, senior project architect at Perkins and Will, described planned work at Monroe, including a slight southward expansion of the front parking area and a revised stormwater system. "The parking lot at Monroe is going to be expanded slightly to the south. We're also going to be addressing the stormwater," Dolter said, describing a shift to 90-degree parking to replace spaces lost for the new northwest addition.

Why it matters: the three-school program represents the largest near-term capital commitment in the district's plan and will affect traffic, parking and recreational fields at the school sites. Staff emphasized coordination with the Park District and city reviewers to avoid use of…