Westmont District 201 renovations enhance security, improve learning environment

WESTMONT – After months of construction, the facility upgrades at schools in Westmont Community Unit School District 201 are nearly complete.

The project, which cost the district more than $9 million, sought to enhance security and improve the learning environments at Manning Elementary, Miller Elementary, Westmont Junior High and Westmont High schools.

The initial designs created in 2014 were expected to cost about $25 million, but after three referendums failed to pass, the district decided to scale back the project and fund it by issuing bonds.

“We sat down with the architect and we looked at what we could do for our facilities using bonds,” Community Unit School District 201 Board of Education President Marie Charlton said.

“Even though we reduced the project to $9.1 million, the district was able to meet the original goals,” Superintendent Kevin Carey said. “We were able to improve the safety and security of our schools and improve the learning environment.”

Construction was expected to be completed in December, but the project is ahead of schedule and could be completed as early as mid-November, according to Charlton. Westmont High School is the only site where construction has not been completed.

“The sections that are being worked on are segregated from where the students’ current classrooms are located,” Charlton said.

She added that of all the facilities, Westmont High School required the most improvement and accounted for more than half of the budget. The school was originally built using an open concept that left most classrooms with no doors or full separation from other classrooms.

“The students could be taking a math test and hear the Spanish class next door. It was not an ideal learning environment,” Charlton said.

In addition, the open concept prevented the school from going into lockdown in case of an emergency.

Besides enclosing open classrooms, the district also built a new visitor vestibule and a student services office, while technology was upgraded in the classrooms and carpet was installed in commons, hallways and classrooms, according to a letter from the district.

The high school plan did not change significantly from the original referendum proposal, but the district had to make sacrifices to stay within budget.

“There were plans to complete some work on the pool,” Carey said. “When we reduced the scope of the project we removed the pool projects.”

At Miller Elementary, the main office was moved from the second floor to the main level, allowing staff to see visitors as they approach the school. A vestibule was added to electronically screen visitors’ identification.

In the original project proposal, the plan was to build an addition that would house the vestibule, a new main office and an elevator. To reduce costs, however, the district relocated the art and music classroom from the main level to the second floor, making room for the main office.

“At Manning [Elementary], we did build a small addition to create a secure entrance off of Linden [Avenue],” Carey said. “We repurposed a space in the building to move the main office to [that] side of the school.”

The nurse’s office and the teacher workroom also were upgraded.

For Westmont Junior High, the district originally planned on reconstructing the floor plan to balance the square footage.

“Some of those classrooms are very small and some are very big,” Charlton said. “We wanted to optimize the space and create classrooms of similar size, but our budget did not allow it.”

The junior high school already had a secure entrance, so the district only enclosed open classrooms in the building.

For more information about District 201, visit cusd201.org.