District staff report summer progress on Palmer and Jenkins renovations and wide capital work across schools
Loading...
Summary
District facilities staff reported on summer capital work, including abatement and enabling work at Palmer, preparatory work at Jenkins, numerous playground and security-entrance projects at elementary and middle schools, and a five‑year capital plan that outlines needs for all district schools.
District 11’s capital programs team updated the board on summer projects and a newly completed five-year capital plan at the June 11 meeting.
Palmer and Jenkins - Palmer High School: Contractors are completing asbestos abatement and enabling work; staff said utilities and temporary accommodations are in place while phased renovation proceeds. - Jenkins renovation: Abatement and selective removal work are underway; district staff said the plan reuses some mechanical equipment where feasible and is scheduled to maintain academic access with portables and temporary spaces.
Summer projects and distribution Staff described a broad set of summer projects across the district — exterior murals, front-entrance security vestibules, playground replacements (synthetic turf at selected sites), HVAC design work for upcoming larger projects and smaller structural repairs. The team emphasized an effort to distribute investments across all four district regions rather than concentrate spending in a single quadrant.
Five-year capital planning The district showed a school-by-school five-year plan that combines condition assessments, educational adequacy reviews, and community input. Staff said the five‑year catalog identifies priorities for each campus and will guide future bond or capital decisions; the plan totals several hundred million dollars in needs and was presented as the baseline used for future capital-prioritization conversations.
Why it matters: The Palmer and Jenkins projects are the largest active renovations in the district’s history and shape near-term construction, logistics and student placement. The five‑year plan provides an inventory to inform possible future bond asks and to prioritize capital funds and maintenance.
Ending: Staff said they will provide photo updates and more detailed funding breakdowns in August and will return to the board as projects advance.
