Full‑day kindergarten proceeding; permitting raises schedule risks at North school
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Summary
District staff reported progress on full‑day kindergarten construction but said permitting — especially for the North school near a river — involves multiple agencies (Des Plaines engineering, FEMA, MWRD, IEPA) and could delay earthwork. Pepper/STR and architects remain ready to start once permits arrive.
District 62 provided an update on implementation of full‑day kindergarten and the associated construction program at the Dec. 15 board meeting.
Administrators said work is underway at Iroquois and that North and Central schools are planned for subsequent phases; remaining schools will be on a summer schedule (SEG 461–466). Construction partners and consultants described permitting complexity for the North site, which sits near the Brandon River and requires coordination with the Des Plaines engineering department, FEMA, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA). Staff said some agency comments arrived and that MWRD had provided first comments the day of the meeting; FEMA reviews and surveys remain the most time‑consuming steps (SEG 953–991, SEG 996–1006).
Contractor and consultant representatives said Pepper and STR remain prepared to begin earthwork but cannot move dirt until final permits are issued. Staff noted one permit fee was reduced from $6,500 to $800 after follow‑up calls and said they are monitoring schedules closely to limit downstream impacts on classroom openings and costs (SEG 1133–1140).
Board members and staff discussed strategies to mitigate permitting delays, including early preparation of plan‑B steps, close communication with permitting agencies, and contingency planning if approvals slip.
What’s next: Administration will continue to update the board on permitting responses and will coordinate with contractors to preserve schedules where possible.