A list of high-priority projects have been identified across the seven buildings within Minooka Community Consolidated School District 201, based on recently released information. Combined, the cost of the disparate projects could be in the range of $33.16 million to complete.

Representatives with Lombard-based architecture firm ARCON Associates Inc. recently completed their assessment of Minooka 201’s facilities, placing a recommended list of projects into one of three buckets, based on priority level.

Minooka 201’s board of education in March hired ARCON at a cost of $93,750 for the big picture deep dive into the condition of each school building. Company representatives were on hand at the board’s most recent meeting Oct. 20 to discuss the findings.

Top priority projects include those deemed “life safety” and could include asphalt paving, roofing, ceiling repair, asbestos abatement, compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, addressing shifting foundations, improving heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, water distribution systems and power distribution.

According to ARCON’s analysis, the breakdown of priority 1 projects is as follows: $4.66 million at Aux Sable Elementary School, $3.03 million at Jones Elementary School, $5.01 million at Minooka Elementary School, $4.14 million at Minooka Intermediate School, $8.06 million at Minooka Junior High School, $5.28 million at Minooka Primary Center and $2.98 million at Walnut Trails Elementary School.

Based on the company’s analysis, projects in the priority 1 bucket are deemed “immediate,” and the representatives are recommending district officials plan on replacing the identified work within the next one to two years.

Additional projects within the second and third priority levels are reflective of conditions that are either poor and severely aged or fair and might need to be addressed within the next decade.

Brian McElmeel, ARCON’s director of building envelope services, spoke to the company’s review process at each of Minooka 201’s buildings.

“We looked at the condition of the roof, the lifecycle of the roof, the lifecycle of different mechanical equipment, certain types of roof membranes,” McElmeel said. “We look at that and combine it with the condition and then come up with our recommendation.”

Superintendent Rachel Kinder said ARCON’s analysis is a valuable tool for Minooka 201 in the road ahead as spending-related decisions are made.

“We don’t want to be in a position where we are suddenly faced with all of these failing systems, or all of these major issues at once, so we want to be strategic about it,” Kinder said.

With the prioritized list of projects in place, Kinder said her intention is to continue discussions with the board to drill down on how some of the work will be tackled in the years ahead.

“Our next phase is to come with a more synthesized recommendation down to the board to engage in that next level of deeper conversation,” Kinder said.

New buildings and grounds director hired

In other business Oct. 20, the Minooka 201 board approved the hiring of Jeffrey Minott as the district’s new director of buildings and grounds.

Minott, who officially began his duties Nov. 3, is replacing the soon-to-retire Glen Wysong.