3 Homewood Schools To Get More Space, Better Air Quality: Board

HOMEWOOD, IL — Three Homewood school buildings will get a minor facelift after the District 153 school board voted to spend over $8 million on air quality and classroom updates at Willow, Churchill and James Hart schools.

Officials said some of the $8.2 million price tag will be covered by federal funds given to the school for pandemic planning. The most costly part of the project will be updating Heating, Vent and Air Conditioning systems at each of the schools. Board member Alex Bosch said the work will improve air circulation and quality in each of the aging buildings.

In addition to HVAC repairs, money will go towards adding two classrooms at Churchill School and bringing in a mobile classroom with four rooms to supplement needed space at Willow School. The mobile unit should give the school an additional 4,000 square feet for office or classroom space, according to a statement from District 153.

Other assorted infrastructure updates listed under the project include three new boilers for James Hart and two new boilers for Willow School. Insulation will be updated at each school to hopefully reduce future energy costs, officials said, and roof and bathroom repairs will bring the total infrastructure bill to $2.6 million.

Superintendent Scott McAlister said the school received three installments of federal funds through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, with some set aside for building improvements. McAlister said $1.2 million of the funds will go towards the HVAC and air circulation work.

This will be the second major renovations for Willow and Hart schools, which were built in between the 1950s and 1960s, but Churchill has never undergone such an ambitious update, board members said.

Board members told Patch the work is scheduled to be finished by the start of the 2022 school year with the new Churchill classrooms following soon after.