Board hears $52MFacilities history, five‑year plan and timeline for ELDC and Vision 4‑28
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Summary
Facilities director reviewed a 5‑year capital plan and said the district has spent more than $52 million on improvements over 13 years; board members probed prioritization, asbestos abatement, security system upgrades and a schedule that ties Vision 4‑28 decisions to ELDC design and 2028 deadlines.
The DeKalb CUSD 428 board on Tuesday reviewed a district facilities five‑year plan and an update on Early Learning Development Center (ELDC) planning and the Vision 4‑28 reconfiguration effort.
Tammy, the facilities lead, walked the board through 13 years of capital work and said the district has spent more than $52 million on facility improvements, including roughly $21 million on HVAC projects and about $10 million funded through federal ESSER dollars. "Since I have been tracking over the last 13 years, we have spent over $52,000,000 on facility improvements," Tammy said, and noted the district continues to maintain a list of projects through 2030 that may shift depending on funding and larger reconfiguration decisions.
Board members asked whether some items on the five‑year list represent single projects divided over multiple years or distinct recurring line items. Tammy explained the list is intended as a forecast of needs to prioritize if funding is available and that life‑safety items identified in a recent 10‑year survey carry mandatory timelines (priority A projects must be done by the one‑year anniversary of the report). She also explained that higher cost estimates for projects such as hallway flooring at Huntley Middle School include asbestos abatement costs.
On security systems, Tammy said the district is transitioning card access and camera systems to Verkada. The card‑access work is being budgeted separately from cameras and would be additional to what the district is receiving through its COPS grant.
Kyle Girdis provided an ELDC update: the first ELDC design meeting is scheduled for next Tuesday and the district expects to be on track to have design work ready by May. Administrators said the ELDC and the Vision 4‑28 reconfiguration are linked in timeline and that a board decision on reconfiguration may need to be in place by February or March to align with the 2028 construction deadlines.
On Vision 4‑28, committee members representing unions, administrators and community volunteers have been reviewing building‑configuration options intended to reduce middle‑school class sizes and create equitable access to resources. Board members asked for a public timeline for community engagement; administrators said they expect to move into subcommittees and will schedule more public outreach when recommendations are more defined.
No formal board action was taken on capital planning at this meeting; staff were asked to refine project timing and community‑engagement plans tied to ELDC and Vision 4‑28 milestones.