Selling Bensenville Elementary School District 2’s four kindergarten-through-5th-grade schools and using the money to fund an elementary school addition to Blackhawk Middle School is still the most cost-effective solution to the district’s financial problems, school officials said Monday.
The officials said they had arrived at that conclusion even though that addition could cost nearly $2.9 million more than estimated.
Assistant Supt. James Bauer recalculated the cost of the addition at $22.9 million, at the request of board members who suggested construction costs would be closer to $125 per square foot than the $115 Bauer originally estimated.
If the higher figure is correct, the sale still would pay for the addition and erase the district’s $3.9 million debt but would leave only about $200,000 to beef up academic programs.
The plan still makes more financial sense than replacing the four elementary schools, all of which need extensive repairs and renovations, said community relations director Susan Pingitore.
Bauer presented figures Monday showing it would cost $9.4 million to tear down and rebuild Tioga Elementary School, $6.5 million to replace Mohawk, $6.1 million to replace Johnson and $5.2 million to replace Chippewa–totaling $27.2 million.
The district would not receive the $12 million it plans to make from selling the school properties or the $8 million it hopes to reap from a tax increment financing district that would cover subdivisions built on the school properties.
The school board will hold a committee of the whole meeting May 7 to discuss how the proposed “school within a school” grade divisions would work in the elementary grade addition.
