Lockport Township High School District 205 approves $15 million life‑safety bond, awards roofing and trades contracts

The Board of Education of Lockport Township High School District 205 voted unanimously to adopt a parameters resolution authorizing the issuance of up to $15,000,000 in general‑obligation life‑safety bonds for roof replacement, masonry repair and related safety and energy improvements. The motion to adopt the parameters resolution was made by Mr. Theiss and seconded by Dr. Shaw.

The resolution sets the plan’s main terms: a final maturity date no later than Jan. 1, 2046; interest rates not to exceed 5.5% per year; and a modeled levy designed to produce approximately $1,500,000 annually from 2025 through 2044. District staff said the board could annually abate the debt‑service levy (if the board chooses), and the five‑year financial forecast was modeled with that abatement strategy in mind.

Why it mattered: district leaders said the work must happen during the summer when students are out of the buildings and that postponing the vote until after an upcoming board election would likely push the work into next year and increase costs. “If you did that, you would get no work done this summer,” Superintendent Bob McBride said, urging the board to preserve the timetable and cost savings achieved through recent bidding.

Bidding and vetting: Berglund Construction, working with DLA Architects, presented five trade packages for summer work — general trades, roofing, electrical, mechanical and plumbing — and summarized low bids vs. the district’s conceptual budgets. For each package, staff described a scope review and a qualification check of the low bidder. The district reported that some low bids differed markedly from the conceptual budget because of clarified scope items (for example, full plumbing replacement for failing roof drains rather than limited salvage) and construction efficiencies the contractor says it can deliver.

Berglund’s representative said the low roofing bid was substantially lower than the original conceptual budget and described measures the contractor plans to use to maintain schedule and quality, including night work and an anchoring method to reduce demolition of interior ceilings. “Our low bidder for roofing, obviously, [is] showing a significant number lower than our budget,” the Berglund representative said, adding that the bidder had prior, similar work experience and had been vetted by the district’s construction counsel.

Board action and votes: after extended discussion on timing, tax abatement and contractor qualifications, the board approved the parameters resolution and then voted separately to award each of the five bid packages. Motions for each award were moved and seconded and carried on roll call. District staff said the roofing work, plumbing (roof drains) and other trades are planned to start in June and be completed over the summer.

Next steps: staff will proceed with the bonds sale process through PMA Securities Inc. (the district‑selected underwriter for a competitive sale), finalize contracts and begin the summer procurement and mobilization schedule. The district emphasized that the bond parameters include options for early payoff or repurposing of facilities, and that annual abatement decisions remain at the board’s discretion.

The board’s approvals make this summer’s work likely to proceed on the present schedule; the district advised the public that additional contract documents and bid details are available in the board packet and with the district’s business office.