CARPENTERSVILLE – Algonquin-based Community Unit School District 300 is accepting bids for the expansion of Carpentersville Middle School, a project budgeted for about $2.6 million, school officials said.
The school board in October approved the reconfiguration of the Carpentersville-area schools. The change, which will occur for next school year, will affect Carpentersville Middle School because it moves to add sixth-graders to what is now a seventh- and eighth-grade building.
"We had [sixth-graders] in there about 10 years ago, then moved to another model," Assistant Superintendent of Operations Chuck Bumbales said. "Now we're reconfiguring things again and moving them back into CMS so it'll be parallel to all the other middle schools."
The reconfiguration also will convert Parkview, Meadowdale, Golfview, Perry and Lakewood to pre-K through fifth-grade schools; Lakewood currently serves fifth- and sixth-graders.
After the district was not selected for a school construction bond program, Chief Financial Officer Susan Harkin said the project will require the district to issue about $2 million in debt certificates, for which the payments will come from the district's operating funds.
The issuance will need board approval.
The change will bring an influx of about 400 students to Carpentersville Middle School for a total enrollment of about 1,175 students, Bumbales said.
To facilitate that increase, nine classrooms will be added to the south side of the building.
The district went out to bid Feb. 1 and held a pre-bid meeting Monday, according to district documents.
"We had well over 20 contractors of various trades," Bumbales said, adding those who attended were able to ask questions and see the building.
The project is scheduled to begin at the end of March with asbestos removal. Bumbales said the asbestos at the back of the building is undisturbed and not a hazard at this time.
From that point, work will progress for the rest of the project, which is scheduled to last until July.
Students should be minimally affected, Bumbales said, adding one art lab and a computer lab will be affected, as well as a couple students who will have to change lockers.
From plumbing to electrical to demolition, Bumbales said there likely will be between 12 to 15 contractors submitting bids, and hopefully, four to six bidders on each trade package.
Bids have to be in by Feb. 23, and the hired construction management firm, Lamp Inc., will review the bid and scope with low bidders on Feb. 24, documents state.