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Urbana board hears sixth-grade center construction, staffing and facilities updates
Summary
Trustees were told the sixth-grade center is on track for turnover July 30, 2025; the district has used roughly $250,000 of a $1,086,500 contingency and plans additional summer projects while staffing and shared positions are finalized.
The Urbana School District 116 board on Tuesday received a detailed update on the new sixth-grade center, including schedule, contingency spending and staffing plans. Scott Wachter, the district’s construction representative from IGW, told trustees the project remains on schedule and the district is slated to take possession on July 30, 2025, although final gym work may extend close to the Aug. 18 start of school.
Wachter said the construction contingency was originally set at $1,086,500. “We’ve used a little over $250,000 of that,” he told the board, leaving roughly $835,000 for unforeseen items. He described interior finishes under way — library windows, movable stage partitions, lockers, casework and tack/whiteboards — and said the solar array is installed and ready to operate while geothermal well drilling and piping continue.
The district also updated the board on related operating costs and contracts. Facilities staff reported that ESS won the cleaning contract for the new building at $118,620 after other bids were disqualified for not following bid specifications. Administrators noted furniture and equipment costs have been higher than expected and may draw on contingency funds.
On staffing, the administration said the sixth-grade center will have a building administrator (Imani Carr, previously announced), an assistant principal and a dean. Some positions posted as sixth-grade center FTE will split time across buildings — especially music staff — to manage budget accounting and program continuity. A 0.5 nurse position that had been discussed will not be added; district nurses will cover the building through internal scheduling, and an intervention teacher position was added that was not in the 2024 FTE listing.
Board members asked how reassignments could affect upper-level arts offerings at the high school; administrators said reassignments filled openings and that the district is monitoring enrollment and course offerings to avoid unintended program reductions. The district also plans ribbon-cutting and family/community preview events before the school opens.
The board did not take formal action on the construction update; administrators said further updates and photos will be shared in subsequent meetings as the district approaches occupancy and final punch-list work.
