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District staff report steady progress on Aurora East USD 131 2026 summer projects; high school HVAC work remains on a tight schedule
Summary
At the July 6 Buildings & Grounds meeting, district staff detailed progress across summer projects — windows, flooring, playgrounds and a major HVAC overhaul at East Aurora High School — and said most work remains on schedule though the HVAC job will be 'down to the wire.'
District staff told the Aurora East USD 131 Buildings & Grounds committee on July 6 that a broad slate of 2026 summer facilities projects is progressing and that most sites are on track to be ready for the school year.
The staff member presenting photos and status updates said ‘‘So all in all, we're doing pretty well,’’ and walked committee members through projects at the high school, Krug, Gates, Benavides, Oak Park and other sites. Completed and nearly completed work includes window replacements at Krug and Oak Park, flooring projects at Krug and other buildings, playground surfacing pours planned at Gates and Krug, tuckpointing and targeted plaster remediation where old windows were removed, and interior remodels such as Room 140 at the high school and a classroom at Excel Academy.
The presentation singled out a large fire‑safety project at Brady that required code‑mandated door hardware changes; staff said that work is ‘‘on budget and right in line with completion dates.’’ Staff also described coordinated sequencing at a Firmin/Hill Avenue site where environmental remediation, chimney demolition, concrete pours and milling are planned so paving can be done in contiguous sections; the presenter estimated the remediation and paving work would take about three to four weeks for specific areas named in the presentation.
On the East Aurora High School HVAC overhaul, the staff member described the project as ‘‘the largest one we've taken on so far across the district.’’ He said ceiling grids and painting are underway on the third floor, univents and VAV boxes are being installed, ductwork and electrical work are in progress, and the main chillers were refurbished with an extended warranty. The presenter warned the project will be ‘‘down to the wire’’ but said crews are making steady progress and that staff can arrange walkthroughs for board members who want to see the work in person.
The presenter offered an approximate project cost while responding to a board question, saying the HVAC work was ‘‘like 8 or 9,000,000’’ (phrase as spoken in the transcript). Because that figure was spoken imprecisely on the record, the exact contract amount and budgetary source were not specified in the meeting transcript and remain to be confirmed by district finance staff.
Staff also reported routine summer work orders, a modest number of maintenance tickets tied to extreme heat events, and that custodial staffing is currently full while the maintenance group is short two mechanics. The district plans to prioritize readiness for the first day of classes; staff cited Aug. 5 as the target date for spaces to be ready.
Next steps: staff will continue work through summer, follow up with the board on any lingering punch‑list items, and provide procurement or budget details when formal action is required. The committee did not record a formal vote on the HVAC project during the July 6 update.
