D204 Board Approves $19.5M in LTHS Capital Projects

Updated science labs, cafeteria renovations and roof replacements are among the 12 capital improvement projects the District 204 board voted Monday to pursue over the next decade.

The district plans to spend an estimated $19.5 million on the undertaking with the help of a $21 million bond issuance.

District 204 has funded similar projects over the past decade with a $20 million bond issuance. There will be no tax increase associated with the new projects because the new debt will just about equal the old obligation, Superintendent Tim Kilrea said.

While some of the projects are more cosmetic, others are integral to maintaining LT’s infrastructure, Board President Mark Pera said.

“It takes millions of dollars to keep them in the condition that the public would expect them to be in,” he said.

North Campus cafeteria renovations will be among the more visible projects. Pera described the cave-like rooms as “sorely in need of modernization.”

The school board’s newly minted student liaison, Brandon Weibel, agreed: “It’s kind of a mess.”

The $21 million bond request is a “not to exceed amount,” which means the district could end up with a smaller issuance, Business Services Director David Sellers said. The district opted to request the largest dollar amount it could get while still maintaining its AAA bond rating, even though it does not expect to spend the full $21 million.

Although each of the projects has been tentatively approved, the slate could change depending on the final bond amount, LTHS Public Relations Director Jennifer Bialobok said.

The district is scheduled to hold a public hearing at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 16 about its intent to move forward with the bond issuance.

The capital projects are as follows:

• Reber Center renovation: $3.7 million
• Science labs: $1.2 million
• West Field – center field artificial turf: $1.2 million
• North Campus cafeteria: $5.3 million
• South Campus tennis courts: $850,000
• North Campus locker room upgrades: $801,000
• Data/video bandwidth 10G: $400,000
• South Campus main entrance reconfiguration: $300,000
• Roof replacements: $2,421,757
• Domestic/condensate piping/pumps: $1,320,000
• Fire alarm system head-ends/rewire: $400,000
• North Campus univents: $325,000
• Architect/engineering fees: $1.282 million

Total: $19,499,757*

*Bond issuance proceeds will also fund additional costs associated with asbestos material removal, if applicable.