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Berwyn South SD 100 weighs demolition, sale or reinvention of historic La Verne Education Center
Summary
At a board meeting the superintendent presented appraisal and cost estimates for the La Verne Education Center and outlined three paths — demolish and rebuild a smaller transportation facility, sell and relocate, or retain and maintain — prompting a request for more detailed cost breakdowns and a community meeting.
The superintendent presented three options for the district's La Verne Education Center on Monday night: demolish and build a smaller transportation hub, sell the property and relocate bus parking, or retain and continue maintaining the historic facility.
The proposal came during the superintendent's report, when she shared an appraisal and rough costs intended to begin a public conversation. The appraisal listed the property's as-is value at about $1,280,000 and the land-if-cleared value near $1,100,000; estimated net value after demolition was about $850,000. A 2019 facilities assessment previously identified roughly $4,000,000 in repairs, and a 2023 renovation study estimated $23 million to $26 million to renovate the building. The superintendent told the board that deferred-maintenance needs now total about $8 million to $10 million and that annual utility costs are roughly $43,000.
Why it matters: La Verne sits on a district-owned site used by transportation and carries historical and community value while also imposing recurring operating and deferred-maintenance costs. Any decision will affect where the district parks and services its buses, the district's capital needs and the visual/historical character of the neighborhood.
—The superintendent said an enrollment analysis and careful financial planning should guide long-term decisions and offered preliminary cost ranges for consulting work to help with planning: "probably —ifteen thousand and twenty thousand," she said for an enrollment study that would inform future choices. She added demolition estimates of about $1,000,000 and a ballpark cost of $2,000,000 for building a smaller, more efficient transportation facility on the site, while the optional historic walk around the World War I memorial was estimated at about $200,000. All numbers were presented as very preliminary estimates.
Board reaction was mixed. Renee Jimenez, a board member who spoke from the Buildings & Grounds committee, said she had an emotional attachment to La Verne: "I hate the idea of tearing it down. I hate it," she said, but acknowledged the practical problems — limited usable space, asbestos and lack of ADA compliance — that have led the committee to prioritize transportation needs over preserving the full structure. Another board member argued retaining the oversized building would be "fiscally irresponsible" and urged that money be directed to student-facing needs.
Board members pressed the superintendent on logistics if the district demolished or redeveloped the site. The superintendent said buses could be staged temporarily at other district lots, including Pershing Playground or split locations, while a construction plan is implemented; she warned that prolonged delay in deciding would continue the district's outlays on a building many described as a "money pit." Several members asked that the architects separate out the historic preservation elements and present those costs separately so the board can weigh operational necessity against preservation.
The superintendent said the district would add this item again to the August agenda for further study and will plan a community meeting (likely after the school year begins) to present options and gather feedback. Board members asked for a clearer accounting of past spending to maintain La Verne, an updated deferred-maintenance estimate and explicit scenarios for where buses would be parked during any redevelopment.
The board did not take a formal vote on La Verne. The superintendent framed the night as an opening of the conversation and said staff will return with more detailed cost breakdowns, revised architect plans that account for the district's full fleet (the meeting noted the district operates 11 buses and initial drawings showed capacity for eight), and proposals for community engagement before any final decision.
Next steps: the superintendent will bring more refined financials and design options back to the board in August, followed by a community meeting to solicit feedback before the board takes any formal action.
