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McHenry County News DISPLAY ADVERTISING & CLASSIFIEDS: 815-877-4044 • CIRCULATION: 815-877-4044 • E-MAIL: McHenryNews@RVPublishing.com
VOLUME 9 • ISSUE 18
11512 N. 2nd ST. • MACHESNEY PARK, IL 61115
THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2019
McHenry School Supt. shares info on upcoming improvements
In November, voters approved our referendum ushering in a new day for District 156 and more importantly, a bright and sustainable future. Thanks to the voters of our community, we have now been given the opportunity and responsibility to create a sustainable, modern, and equitable educational environment in our district for many years to come. Over the past four months, we have been busy preparing and developing a plan that addresses our immediate needs and secures our near future. In January, we formed four different committees to assist with the planning and design process. 1. Steering Committee: Includes the project principles, our architect and construction management company to establish the scope, budget, and the timeline for each project. The team is also working with our civil engineers to complete a traffic impact study. 2. Core Team: Includes teachers, administrators, parents, students, and support staff members to assist our architects with the design of the new extension based on their individual subject area knowledge or stakeholder perspective. 3. User Group: Includes subject area teachers to obtain critical feedback on classroom or laboratory technology, furniture, or the specialty needs of each individual space in the new extension. 4. Transition Team: Includes staff members from every department to provide feedback on the new academic and organizational deliveryof-service model when we transition to a freshmen campus at East and 10th-12th grade campus at West. Members of our transition team have also conducted three site visits to Chicago area 9th grade campuses to study the strengths of each campus model. We focused on the following critical foundational elements to guide the development of our planning and school improvement process: • Repairing our aging infrastructure, addressing all priority life safety/facility issues, and modernizing our educational environment. • Providing all students and families in McHenry with the same shared educational experience and access to the vital courses, programs, and resources that will prepare them
for the careers of the future. • Placing our district on a secure and sustainable path forward that will allow for continued financial stability and investment in our buildings, modern courses, and programs for the foreseeable future. With these basic principles in mind, I would like to update you on the upcoming capital projects and timeline for both East Campus and West Campus and the timeline necessary to shift our academic and organizational delivery-of-service model. East Campus - Capital Projects (Summer 2019) • Installation of new Geothermal HVAC System in all Classrooms and Offices • New Classroom Ceilings and Ducted Vents • New Interior and Exterior LED Lighting Throughout the Building • New Classroom Flooring • New Building Automation System (BAS) & Commissioning on all Equipment • New Roofing & Roof Top HVAC Units The work will commence in late May and conclude at the beginning of August before school opens. After completion of the projects and the mechanical upgrades, our energy efficiency will increase to provide an estimated energy cost savings of $75,000 -$100,000 to the district annually. This is money that can be reinvested in our programs, courses, and facilities. West Campus - Capital Projects (Summer 2019) • Complete West Campus Pool Project -Interior Tile Replacement for Pool and Deck (HVAC and Filtration System were replaced last summer) • Construction of 10 new Tennis Courts • Construction of new Parking Lot(next to South Lot)200+ spaces • Begin Foundation Work for New Building Extension on the North Side of the Building West Campus - Capital Projects 2019-2020 • Construction of New Building Extension (Center for Science Technology and Industry). The extension will have three floors with both lab and classroom space. • New Extension 2nd Floor will include: an upgraded main entrance, Construction Lab, Manufacturing Lab, Graphics Lab, Computer Sci-
ence Lab, Engineering Lab, Robotics/ R&D Lab, Incubator Classroom, and three additional classrooms. The current Culinary Lab will also be upgraded and remodeled. • New Extension 3rd Floor will include: Three Chemistry Labs with classrooms on either side (six total), Advanced Environmental Lab (w/ greenhouse) / Advanced Research Lab, and Biomedical Lab. A new Math and Science Student Resource Center will be created along with a staff support office. • New Extension 4th Floor will include: Nine classrooms total and the project will be constructed so five additional classrooms can be added at any time during construction, or at a future date (these five additional rooms will be bid separately). Timeline for Completion We had hoped that all projects would be completed by the Fall of 2020. However, due to a change in the scope and location of the extension, the permitting and bidding process, and access to materials -opening in the Fall of 2020 will not be possible. Due to the significant investment in our district, the project must not be rushed, but rather completed to the highest standards to ensure its viability for many generations to come. The extension will now open in January (2nd Semester) of 2021. Some courses will begin utilizing the classroom and laboratory spaces for the remainder of the semester while existing sections of West campus are remodeled or reconfigured in preparation for our campus shift. • We will not transition to a Freshmen Campus at East and 10th-12th Grade Campus at West until the Fall of 2021. Given the new construction timeline, we cannot risk the extension not being ready when we change our academic and operational delivery-of-service model. This is the most prudent course or timeline that will ensure the project is completed to the highest standards and we are ready to serve all students under our new campus model. I would like to invite you to attend a community town hall to learn more about the plan, projects, and timeline on May 1st at 6 p.m. in the West Campus Auditorium. We will present renderings of the new exten-
sion, update operational timelines, and answer questions. We will also host a D156 Construction Page on our website starting in June so you can receive construction updates, view pictures, and track progress over the next two years. I want to thank our parents and students for their support as we be-
Dog rescue
gin this amazing journey together. We know that without your support, none of this would have been possible. The future of District 156 is bright and I look forward to seeing you on May 1st at our town hall. We are Warriors and We Are Rising! Ryan McTague, Ph.D. Superintendent of Schools
CRYSTAL LAKE PD PHOTO McHenry County News
On April 16, a Crystal Lake staff member rescued a dog stuck on the shorelines at Three Oaks Recreation Area. The dog had been missing for a few days, but he was reunited with his family. We would like to thank the Three Oaks staff for their vigilance and the Crystal Lake Police Department.
McHenry County Sheriff’s Department true stories You ever wonder about some of the calls the dispatchers take? One of the less serious calls April 16 was about two donkeys walking down the road. While this might sound like an opening to a bad joke, the deputies did locate said donkeys and were able to herd them home.
MCHENRY COUNTY SHERIFF’S PHOTOS McHenry County News
McHenry County Sheriff’s Deputies received a report of two donkeys on the road….
…the Deputies were able to apprehend the truant donkeys and return them to their home.