Community Consolidated Elementary District 181’s simultaneous construction projects — to accommodate full-day kindergarten programs at the six elementary schools and to establish a permanent administration center — are on schedule for completion by next school year.
At Monday’s school board meeting, Mike Duggan, director of facilities, presented updates to board members on the work. Reporting on the kindergarten additions, Duggan said each of the six builds are at least 65 percent completed. Oak School is furthest along with completion projected in the next week or two, months before of the others’ early and mid-summer targets.
“That’s going to be very helpful to our staff because we’ll be able to have the finished rooms at Oak as sort of a prototype classroom for all the rooms that are going to be delivered to us over the summer,” Duggan said. “It’s going to be a big help to kind of work out the kinks.”
Duggan praised the three different firms carrying out the work for their dedication to staying faithful to the timeline.
“They’ve been very cooperative in arranging their schedules to continue construction after school, nights, weekends and holidays to keep the projects on track, all at no additional cost to the district,” he said.
The $19.2 million project to outfit the schools in time for the 2025-26 school year is two years ahead of the state’s mandated deadline for all school districts to provide full-day kindergarten.
“We continue to focus on finishing on time and under budget,” Duggan added.
That also is the vision for the new district administration center at 133 E. Ogden Ave. The district purchased the 13,275-square-foot office building in 2023 for $3.1 million and is spending about $4.7 million to convert it into its headquarters.
Duggan said crews are currently roughing in the mechanicals and modernizing the elevator, among other work.
“We’re switching utilities from eight separate gas meters and eight separate electrical meters down to one for each utility for the entire building,” he reported. “We’re just a few weeks away from being ready for drywall.”
Duggan reported that he also is working with the Village of Hinsdale to get approval for the exterior site work. The center is expected to be completed in May, shortly before the district lease ends on its rental space in Clarendon Hills.
As with the full-day kindergarten contractors, Duggan lauded the partnership with CI Construction on the project.
“We’re very pleased with their work and their perseverance in staying on track,” he said.
Superintendent Hector Garcia said getting settled in the new facility in June will help smooth the process of bringing full-day kindergarten programs online in August.
“This is our first big project that has to be available to us before the start of the summer,” he said.
