Referendum Work To Wrap On This District's Middle Schools By September

DOWNERS GROVE, IL — Work on Herrick and O'Neill Middle Schools is set to be finished before the 2025-26 school year begins, according to a recent update from Downers Grove Grade School District 58. Crews also have completely most of the work in the first phase of elementary school construction and phase two's summer projects are just over one-third of the way completed.

Herrick Middle School

At Herrick Middle School, crews have begun to finish and paint the school's updated main entrance. Concrete has been poured for the main entrance's new sidewalk's and light poles. These, and new curbs are set to be finished by July 18.

Flooring installation began at Herrick Middle School's gym on July 11 and electrical finishes have been started in the school's kitchen.

The heating and cooling system for the classrooms has been operating, despite an earlier delay in installing the transformer.

O'Neill Middle School.

Everything is "up and running" at the O'Neill Middle School gym, following locker installation, the update said. As of July 16, crews were scheduled to begin installing the skylight of the school's main entrance.

July 18 will mark the start of casework installation in the school's new science addition.

It's anticipated that new kitchen equipment will be started up the week of July 28. During that week, landscaping will begin throughout O'Neill's grounds.

Phase II of Elementary School Construction

As phase II of elementary school construction continues, workers are focusing on framing, door frames and drywall installation at Kingsley, Lester, Fairmount and Indian Trail Elementary Schools.

This summer saw the start of designs for phase III of work on the district's elementary schools, with budget updates anticipated by the end of July.

Overall Work

As of mid-July, 73 percent of the overall referendum construction work has been finished, per board documents.

The work on District 58's schools has been funded, in part by a $179 million bond referendum that was favored by voters in the November 2022 election.