Asbestos work beginning on Coal City Intermediate School, roof to come off after

Work on Coal City Intermediate School continued over the summer, and the Unit 1 Board of Education approved an $85,950 bid last week for Colfax Corporation to begin removing asbestos.

The building was evacuated in Oct. 2024 after it was discovered a crack in the wall was growing, and the bolts in the braces holding the wall together were loose. It was then discovered that the wood trusses on the roof were splitting and twisting.

Superintendent Chris Spencer said the district is with Performance Services because the project was estimated to cost between $5 million and $7 million, and it looks like it’s going to cost $4.9 million.

“They still expect it to be done in time for school next year,” Spencer said. “We can start and have everything moved in August 2026 and have our fourth and fifth graders back at the intermediate school.”

Workers will take the built-in bleachers out of the gym, which Spencer said will make the gym larger, and they’re also going to knock down the stage to put in a band room. He said the stage hasn’t been used in a while, and it puts the band room on the first floor.

Spencer said there’s still the possibility of weather putting a damper on progress, though. Until construction at the intermediate school is finished, the fourth and fifth grade students are attending school at Coal City Elementary.

“We made a few improvements there to try and accommodate the number of students and staff that will be there,” Spencer said. “We’ve done a little electrical work, fixing some doors, some plumbing work, and all of that stems from some situations we had last spring.”

Spencer said the elementary school is a crowded and busy place, but the district can make it work for one school year. He said the school is close to capacity right now, but the staff is working around it.

“The staff has just been awesome with the whole process, the way they move quickly,” Spencer said. “Last fall and now, they’ve been working with us and moving some people around to get classrooms ready. It’s been good. They’ve done a really nice job, considering the situation. I’ve been very happy with our students and staff.”

Coal City Unit 1 schools all start on Wednesday, Aug. 13, and teachers report starting Monday, Aug. 11.