District to create bid specs for $500,000 in 2026 life‑safety projects; $50,000 state grant applied for

The Lyons Township High School District 204 Board authorized staff to create bid specifications for approximately $500,000 in 2026 life‑safety projects, with an initial focus on door and frame replacements at North Campus.

Business and facilities staff said the district's updated 10‑year life‑safety survey identified roughly $2.5 million in work; the board asked staff and architects to break that into smaller projects and pursue roughly $500,000 per year to stay on schedule. The administration said it applied for a $50,000 Illinois School Maintenance Grant and intends to apply that toward the door work; the grant requires a local match.

Board members discussed procurement strategy — whether to bid trades separately or package work to capture economies of scale — and asked whether architect/owner’s‑agent fees were included in the $500,000 figure. Staff said architect fees could be added to the total or the district could reduce the construction scope so the overall total including fees remains near $500,000. Members requested final cost and fund‑balance information after the FY25 audit before proceeding with additional capital projects.

The board voted by roll call to approve the creation of the bid specifications and to move forward with the procurement planning process for 2026 life‑safety work.