District 41 Shopping Bids for Outdoor Classroom

School District 41 might turn an overgrown and unused space into an outdoor classroom area this summer.

However, the project won’t come cheap.

At its March 7 meeting, the School Board voted to put out to bid the concept plans of a $193,830 renovation to the Hadley Junior High courtyard, which is currently “an eyesore,” said Bob Ciserella, assistant superintendent of finance, facilities and operations for the Glen Ellyn school district.

Ciserella said the proposed courtyard design calls for three brick-clad learning spaces connected by a paved sidewalk. Grass will be planted in between all paved areas and existing trees will be kept.

A pond with a self-circulating stream and an amphitheater will also fill out the fully enclosed space in the center of the junior high. Julie Worthen, director of communications for the district, said the pond and stream will benefit the science department; and the amphitheater can be used for performance classes.

Superintendent Dr. Ann Riebock said the Hadley science teachers are particularly excited about the plans.

"The water feature was really a great thought for creating a classroom where you could look at organic life," Riebock said.

One science teacher currently uses an in-class wading pool, Riebock said, for the types of activities the courtyard could host.

Ciserella also consulted with the math and literacy departments for ideas about how they could use the space.

The construction itself is estimated to cost $150,000. Architectural and engineering fees total nearly $29,000 and stormwater allowance, which Ciserella originally hoped would not be necessary, will cost an estimated $15,000.

Ciserella said the village made stormwater improvements mandatory.

“I fought for this for a couple months and it looks like I lost the battle,” he said at the March 7 board meeting. “Any time we touch a piece of ground, there’s going to be stormwater [issues].”

The idea of renovating the courtyard was first brought to the board last November, when a plan was proposed for a $50,000 “cleanup and rehab,” Worthen said.

“The board expressed an interest in seeing something that was more in line with some learning space that could of value to the school,” Worthen said.

The new cost, first presented at the Feb. 21 School Board meeting, “surprised” board member Dan Smith. He was worried about committing big dollars to a project that won’t be usable during winter.

“I’d prefer to see this [money] put on smart boards or upgraded science labs,” Smith said. “If we have to spend the money I’d rather spend it on something we can use year-round.”

Worthen said she thought the facility could be used until November and as early as March. That would leave the three winter months out.

“We have a building that we are stressed for space and here’s an area we could possibly use as an asset for now and for quite some time to come,” Worthen said. “It could be a long-lasting asset.”

Smith and fellow board members Drew Ellis, John Kenwood and Robert Solak all expressed concern before the March 7 vote that the space would not be used as it's planned.

"The use is always the concern," Solak said of outdoor learning environments, which he said have been "pet projects" in the past that have typically burned out after a couple of years of excitement.

Smith said it's important the board sees more specific teacher plans for use of the area. 

"If this is going to be a classroom, then show me the classes and the curriculum changes that are going to support it," he said.

All board members, however, voted to give the administration permission to put the project out to bid. Once the bidding process is through, the board will have another vote, Worthen said, on the administration-endorsed bid. 

Ciserella said the courtyard has gone through three or four renovations in the last 20 years.

“As different staff members or community members and parents move through the buildings, the area falls into disrepair,” said Ciserella, who will also bid out two alternative plans with less amenities to provide board members choice and perspective.

Ciserella said the project is one part of an approximately $1 million capital projects plan for this summer that include replacing the stage at Lincoln Elementary School and renovating the 1920s-era entrance to Franklin Elementary School. 

"Substantial completion" of the summer's projects is expected to be done by Aug. 15,  Ciserella said.