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tinleyjunction.com News
the tinley junction | January 25, 2018 | 5
Mobile classroom for Kruse approved, bond financing discussed
Cody Mroczka, Editor
With more room needed
to accommodate full-day
kindergarten next school
year, the Community Consolidated
School District
146 Board of Education
voted unanimously on Jan.
16 to approve a mobile
classroom unit for the Kruse
Education Center.
Officials said they are
hopeful the unit will be operational
around Feb. 1 as
part of an ongoing effort
to reduce space concerns
with increased kindergarten
enrollment in the district,
which serves students from
kindergarten through eighth
grade.
Officials also discussed
bond financing for full-day
kindergarten building additions,
expected to cost
around $20 million, according
to School Board documents.
“The board is very well
briefed about what our motivations
are, what our needs
are over at Kruse,” Superintendent
Jeff Stawick said.
“It’s a non-customary expense
and of a reasonably
good sum of money. So,
when there are those types
of actions that require a
good dollar, we often ask the
board to resolve for those.”
A resolution passed by the
board authorized the acquisition
of a mobile classroom
unit to address the current
shortage of existing classrooms.
The resolution approves
and ratifies a lease
agreement between D146
and Modular Space Corporation
for a period of 18
months, in the amount of
$34,052. The agreements
calls for an installation cost
of $12,902, plus 18 monthly
payments of $1,175, according
to School Board documents.
The mobile unit is
Students Gavin Hemminger (left), a fourth-grader at Fulton, and Maksym Sierak, a sixth-grader at Central, were recognized
by District 146 officials for winning the Spelling Bee. Officials pictured are (left to right) Superintendent Jeff Stawick,
Richard Lloyd, Julie Berry, President John Malloy, Julie Jackson, Secretary Darcy Nendza and Vince Aiello.
PHOTO SUBMITTED
already on site, but the application
requires the architect’s
certification and signature,
as well as signatures
from the superintendent,
board president and board
secretary, prior to submittal
to the regional office.
Enrollment for full-day
kindergarten classes for the
2018-2019 school year is
already underway, as plans
for several capital improvement
projects are in the design
and architecture phase,
with new construction tentatively
set for the start of next
year. Construction plans on
Fierke Education Center and
Kruse are expected to take
longer than smaller projects
on Memorial and Fulton
elementary schools, which
could be ready to be out to
bid early this spring.
As of Nov. 30, officials
estimated the total project
to cost between $17.7 million
and $23 million, to be
funded with a combination
of cash and new debt. The
board passed a resolution
in December, transferring
$11.99 million from the
working cash fund into the
operations and maintenance
fund, and from there into the
construction fund ($6 million)
and educational fund
($5.99 million).
Plans include additional
classroom space at all four
elementary schools. Fierke,
Kruse and Memorial are set
to get cafeterias, while additional
space for music and
art also are to be added to
Kruse and Fierke. The construction
period is estimated
to take 19-24 months, occurring
simultaneously at
all schools, which could effect
bus and car traffic. Ultimately,
student enrollment
is expected to increase. Up
front costs were estimated
at $13.79 million, with recurring
operational costs of
$291,200 annually. Mobile
unit costs for Kruse were not
included in the estimates.
Officials have been discussing
how to pay for the
rest of the project by issuing
debt/bond, debating whether
or not the district should
consider borrowing extra for
additional expected remodeling
and renovations while
rates are favorable.
“Besides the cost of construction,
there will also be
the cost of remodeling/renovations
afterwards for Fierke
and Kruse,” according to
minutes from a December
Committee of the Whole
meeting. “The board was in
agreement in maximizing
the debt.”
The maximum borrowing
capacity for the district
is approximately $19.6
million, according to those
Round it up:
A brief recap of Community
Consolidated School
District 146 Board of
Education action and
discussion Jan. 16:
• Maksym Sierak, a
sixth-grader at Central
Middle School, and
Gavin Hemminger, a
fourth-grader at Fulton
School, were recognized
by the School Board as
D146’s first- and secondplace
Spelling Bee
Champs, respectively.
• An intergovernmental
agreement for the
sharing of student
information between
D146 and Bremen High
School District 228
also was approved by
a unanimous vote. The
agreement, similar to
the one finalized with
D230 in September,
allows for the sharing of
additional student data
to assist in the academic
placement of students.
• A Memorandum
of Understanding for
the revision of nurses
salaries was ratified.
According to officials,
because of Illinois State
Board of Education
changes, it has become
more difficult to find
qualified applicants
under the salary offered
by D146. Therefore,
the nurse’s salary was
renegotiated with its
union representatives.
minutes. Issuing new bonds
also would require a public
hearing, as well as a 30-day
waiting period. Taxpayers
also can force the issue to a
referendum by gathering 10
percent of registered voter
signatures on a petition.