Unforeseen issues will add almost $500,000 to the cost of renovating the pool at Elgin High School.
The U-46 Board of Education unanimously approved a change order with general contractor Schaefges Brothers, Inc., not to exceed $459,005 on Monday night. The contract total will now run $3,345,505.43, according to documents for the board meeting.
No board member or anyone else present spoke about the measure.
In July 2024, the Board approved spending $3.9 million on maintenance and repair projects for the pools at Elgin and South Elgin high schools in advance of a new swim class being offered at all five district high schools that fall.
During the fall of 2024, for the first time this decade, U-46 began offering swimming classes in addition to lifeguarding for students from all five of its high schools.
Initially, plans called for a new liner to be added to the Elgin High School pool, for roughly $2.5 million, and a dehumidifier, pump, and filter to be installed at South Elgin for about $1.4 million.
According to Monday’s meeting document, two prior change orders added a collective $375,223.43 to the bill for the Elgin High School pool work.
The document says that the pool’s existing trench drains were found to be severely clogged and beyond repair. This will require the installation of a new system that meets the Illinois Department of Public Health requirements.
Other issues include the following:
- Existing pool ladders can’t be attached to the new pool liner, so new ones need to be fabricated, the document says.
- During demolition of the pool deck, an unknown and undocumented electrical conduit was damaged; that conduit has to be rerouted.
- An IDPH permit review process led to revisions to the main drain design and the addition of a sump pump.
- A water meter has to be relocated.
As such, the project is now expected to be substantially completed by Sept. 24, according to the meeting document.
Mike Danahey is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
