District says Vernon Hills pool HVAC delay could sideline programs for about eight weeks; contingency planning underway

District facilities staff told the Community High School District 128 board on May 18 that preordered HVAC equipment for the Vernon Hills High School pool is delayed and that the replacement will likely be phased to avoid a prolonged loss of the pool.

Facilities staff (Speaker 35) said that because the new equipment will arrive in sections and require custom ductwork, the recommended approach is to phase installation and to expect roughly an eight-week period in which the pool’s ventilation will be offline. "The turtles program at Vernon Hills will have to be shut down for that 8 weeks," the facilities representative said.

Administrators described options to minimize harm to athletes and community programs: prioritize Libertyville High School pool time for district teams, consider Stevenson, the Vernon Hills Park District or Mundelein as alternate sites, and adjust schedules so Vernon Hills follows Libertyville usage when possible. Athletic and aquatics directors have met with building staff to outline options; a fully developed schedule with contingencies is expected by the August board meeting, administration said.

Board members repeatedly pressed for greater contingency planning and clearer timelines. One trustee asked whether stakeholders had been informed; the facilities lead said athletic directors, PE staff and aquatics directors had been engaged and that conversations with coaches and program users would continue as the schedule is refined.

A related operational issue surfaced in the discussion about third-party use of district pools: the board debated a renewed facility-use agreement with RISE (a vendor that uses pool time). Trustees said they lacked sufficient clarity about how the VHS outage would affect RISE’s schedule and whether an updated fee schedule should be approved now. Board members directed staff to consult stakeholders, including RISE, and tabled the motion to adopt the new agreement until the district could present clearer scheduling impacts.

Why it matters: Swim teams, youth programs and third‑party users face disruption. District staff said they will prioritize school teams and develop contingency plans so athletic programming can continue while work is underway. The board expressed the expectation that a complete plan and schedule will be available before the start of the school year.

Representative quotes

"We met with the school administration, the athletic director, PE director, and also the aquatics director..." (Facilities lead).

"If it does take longer than the 8 weeks, hopefully... we still have time to make that adjustment," the facilities representative said, noting custom ductwork and roof access as timing risks.

Next steps: Administrators said they will finalize a schedule and contingencies prior to the start of the school year and present a developed schedule no later than the August board meeting; the board tabled the RISE agreement until staff can report on facility-use impacts and proposed schedule changes.