Damages at Grayslake Middle School caused by severe winter weather conditions will take longer to repair than initially anticipated.
The emergency repairs needed will now take an additional 12 weeks, with an expected completion date of April 26, according to a press release from the Community Consolidated School District 46.
Repairs must be completed before students and staff can safely return to the campus, including fixing unit ventilators, replacing all fire sprinklers, replacing the floor in the large gym and a complete cleanup and installation of new flooring in all affected areas.
A snow and ice storm, combined with below-zero temperatures, in mid-January, caused significant damage to the aging infrastructure at the middle school campus. During that time, GMS students participated in e-learning.
Ventilation equipment in the schools was designed to handle below-zero temperatures for only 100 hours a year, according to the district’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) specialists.
Other school buildings in the district also sustained damage, but none as significant as the middle school.
On Jan. 17, the district learned students and staff would not be able to return to Grayslake Middle School.
In-person learning resumed the following day at the University Center of Lake County campus, now known to students and staff as GMS East. The temporary campus is just over two miles away from the middle school.
Superintendent Lynn Glickman said the district is fortunate to have access to the University Center. Glickman said the alternate campus plans came together quickly thanks to community support.
“Our students, staff, families and community have truly come together to ensure that teaching and learning continue while we are away from the middle school building,” she said.
Costs for the repairs are estimated at $2 million, nearly all of which will be covered by the district’s insurance. Glickman said the district’s deductible is $2,500.
“We feel very glad to have strong, good insurance,” she said.
Multiple vendors are working with the district on the school repairs, which have already begun, according to school officials. Work on the gym floor replacement started, and the fire sprinkler replacement project is about two-thirds complete.
Work on the unit ventilators in classrooms was underway, but has been halted due to supply-chain delays.
To prevent damages in future winter storms, Glickman said the district plans to replace old boilers soon.
Since starting at the University Center, students have adjusted to the new classrooms and are “locked into learning,” she said. Adjustments to the space are needed regularly.
One week into school at GMS East, Glickman learned the campus was previously scheduled for another school district to use as a testing site. Plans for GMS students rapidly shifted, and the students used facilities at the College of Lake County and the Lake County Tech Campus.
“Both the tech campus and CLC welcomed us, and really moved heaven and Earth for us,” Glickman said.
Using the college and high school campuses also provided a unique opportunity to expose middle school students to future educational opportunities, she added.
Most afterschool activities and clubs have resumed at the University Center. Other school offerings have been altered due to available spaces at GMS East.
Due to a lack of space at the University Center, band practice for the school’s program is held at another district school in the morning. Students are then transported to the new campus.
The temporary campus also does not have a gymnasium available, so the middle school sports teams are practicing and participating in meets and games at a variety of locations, including other CCSD 46 schools and the Grayslake High School district.
Grayslake Middle School’s formal physical education program is currently delivered asynchronously.
“We continue to consider the outdoor spaces we have available to identify ways to incorporate as much physical activity in our students’ day as possible as the weather continues to improve,” Glickman said.
Chloe Hilles , 2024-02-16 17:06:57
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