Yorkville schools continue reinvesting in building upgrades

Continuing its priority on upgrading facilities, the Yorkville School Board approved a grant application and project plan to replace the roof at Yorkville Middle School.

The entire 120,000-square-foot roof replacement is estimated to cost $1.5 million. The district is dividing the project into smaller segments between $400,000 and $500,000 to limit the financial burden on the district’s budget.

The construction will take place over the summer of 2025, with the building remaining open and summer school and other activities in the building unimpeded by the work.

An application for state-funded assistance was approved by the school board at its Nov. 25 meeting. The School Maintenance Project Grant will bring up to $50,000 in funds.

The district has been replacing one school building roof each year for the past five years, according to Heather DiVerde, the district’s director of facility operations.

“Just like a home, when a school roof falters, everything inside the building is susceptible to damage,” DiVerde said. “The roof is the glue that holds all of our operations together. It’s one of the most important parts of facility upkeep because if you have a leak over the gymnasium, for example, then we have to fund replacing the expensive gymnasium floor.”

DiVerde said the roof projects are an integral part of the District’s overall facilities master plan.

The facilities master plan upgrade involves construction projects designed to better accommodate the district’s growing student body that is outpacing the available space at the current schools.

“It has been a continued main focus to keep our roofs intact,” DiVerde said. “In addition to protecting our classrooms, the roofs house all of our mechanicals to keep our buildings operating.”

Yorkville Middle School provides education for students in grades seven and eight.