Built in 1874, DuPage County’s oldest school, Longfellow School in downtown Wheaton, faces an uncertain future.
In preliminary discussions about expanding and renovating existing buildings and a coming referendum, the Wheaton-Warrenville Unit District 200 school board on Wednesday seemed to agree that the crumbling building may fall victim to the wrecking ball.
The district’s architects, Evanston-based GreenAssociates, have reported that building a $9 million school immediately to the west of the current school would cost $950,000 more than renovating the existing structure.
Now, district staff members have changed their position on Longfellow, which officials said needs repairs and expansion. Supt. Jim Travis is recommending that Longfellow be torn down and replaced by a building.
“We believe a new building would be more practical and more serviceable in the long run than renovating the existing building,” Travis said. “This building will cost less and last longer (than doing the renovations). But this decision has to be supported by the community.”
Board President David Fleming said the board agrees.
“We are all leaning toward a new facility,” Fleming said. “We want a building that is flexible, and that can preserve the character . . . and the historic feel of (the existing building).”
Fleming said the board is leaning toward renovating Hawthorne Elementary School, another district building in need of improvements. Work at Longfellow and Hawthorne would be funded by a referendum question.
