Board Update 10/24/2016

Devonshire and Friendship Renovations Approved

At the board meeting on Monday, October 24, the board approved recommendations from the Facility Advisory Committee for renovations to Devonshire Elementary and Friendship Junior High. For Devonshire, a new main office and health office area and additional interior renovations to create a secure visitor check in at the front entrance to the building were approved. Friendship Junior High will have extensive interior renovations to classrooms that currently require passing through other classrooms for entry and improvements to sound permeations between learning spaces.

The projects are scheduled go to bid in late winter with construction taking place over the summer. Both projects will be completed by the beginning of the 2017 school year.

CCSD59 Property Sale Update

The board approved the final sale agreement of the current CCSD59 administration building and adjacent property (formerly the Wellington) on October 24, 2016, during the board meeting. Red Rocks 4, LLC, a subsidiary of Nicholas & Associates, purchased the property for $5 million dollars. Construction project bids for the new administration building are scheduled to open in December with voting on the bids by the board to take place in February of 2017. The new administration center could potentially open in the late fall or early winter of 2017.

Resolution to Pursue Tax Levy Extension for 2016

During Monday’s board meeting, the board approved a resolution for business services to pursue a tax levy extension. Administration is recommending a 3.8% increase of the 2016 levy as compared with the 2015 tax levy extension. This percentage was recommended incorporating the known CPI (.7%) for the 2016 levy and to capture the estimated new construction amount for CCSD59. This equates to a proposed 2016 levy of $82,943,262 to offset the expected expenses in fiscal year 2016. Under the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law (PTELL), levy requests made by taxing entities are adjusted by the Cook County Clerk to ensure that the tax extensions do not exceed those limits as determined by the PTELL.

The 2016 tax levy must be filed with the Cook County Clerk by 12/27/16. The recommended timeline for the 2016 tax levy for CCSD59 includes a public hearing on 11/28/16 and a final adoption of the levy on 12/12/16. Both of these dates coincide with regularly scheduled board of education meetings.