Will D87 Board Members Approve Bids for Memorial Lights?

It might be too early to tell if Glenbard Township High School District 87 board members will approve the bids to install lights at Memorial Field.

Before erecting six light poles at one of Glen Ellyn's public high schools, the school board must first approve bids for construction. A straw poll of the seven-member board revealed three were unwilling to comment on how they will eventually vote, while three were in favor of pushing the project forward. 

Board member Thomas Voltaggio explained it’s too early for him to comment on a future decision the board has yet to discuss. Voltaggio said it’s only “appropriate to answer in an open public debate.”, agreed with Voltaggio and said it’s “premature” to comment on how her bid vote will fall. 

Board Members Robert Friend, Rose Malcolm and Yadav Nathwari all stated they plan to vote in favor of the bids, while Board President Richard Heim also declined to comment. It's unclear how the remaining board member, Thomas Trefilek, will vote.

Following the village board’s for the lights at Memorial Field, the district was required to hold a public hearing regarding the proposed improvements for the field. At Monday’s meeting were some familiar faces but a few approached the public podium for the first time. Glenbard West Band Director, Jon Walsh, and Boys’ Lacrosse Coach, Carl Landi, both backed the decision to install lights at the field. Walsh said the lighted field would be “unbelievably beneficial” to his music students that need an authentic practice surface, not a gym where they typically find themselves due to limited field space.

Currently, members of the public are spearheading the efforts to raise $325,000 for the lights portion of the project, which the district promised would be entirely privately funded. If all goes according to plan for the district, the bid opening is scheduled for June 13 and the installation of lights would be finished by Aug. 31, in time for the 2012 fall sports season.