District 23 approves MacArthur furniture, gym repaint and floor refinishing for summer work

The Prospect Heights School District 23 Board of Education on Feb. 12 approved a series of contracts to ready MacArthur Middle School for summer construction. The board voted unanimously to award a $25,218.40 contract to Educational Environments to replace the MacArthur main office furniture, following administration recommendations and meetings with the office team.

Administration also recommended repainting and refinishing key gym surfaces in coordination with the summer schedule. The board approved a $27,500 contract to Ascher Brothers Company for gymnasium wall and ceiling painting and separately approved $7,000 for new floor artwork and $29,995 for refinishing — a combined $36,995 for the gym floor project. The motions were advanced by Tracey Morrissey and seconded by Brian Greidanus; votes on these items were recorded as Yea 7.

Board members said the upgrades align with the district's Building a Better D23 timeline and follow earlier discussions in Buildings & Sites and Finance committees. The approved contracts include vendor proposals and specified budget sources: the furniture funds were noted as budgeted to the Operations & Maintenance Contracted Services account, and the gym painting was the lowest responsive RFP bidder. Work is scheduled to take place over the summer to coordinate with other repairs and improvements.

The board packet included vendor quotes and the formal action items. The board will monitor installation timing to ensure compatibility with the broader MacArthur window, siding and door projects planned for Summer 2026.