District 218 buildings to get security boost

New entrances slated for Richards, Eisenhower, others

Entrance doors at four educational structures in School District 218 will become more secure after the school board agreed to pay just over $1.1 million to a Waukegan-based construction company to build new entrances.

Happ Builders Inc. was awarded the contract Thursday without opposition. Theywere among seven companies that submitted bids to the district, and their bid of $1,187,500 was the lowest. Two school board members, Carol Kats and Cindy Bartczak, were not present Thursday for the vote.

The company will build new secured entrances at Richards High School in Oak Lawn, Eisenhower High School in Blue Island, the Delta Summit Learning Center in Crestwood and at the district’s administrative offices in Oak Lawn.

Another district property, Shepard High School in Palos Heights, already has an improved entrance that was installed nearly five years ago.

School board President Thomas Kosowski said district officials like the way the Shepard project turned out, and board members see this latest construction project as an overdue effort to bring similar facilities to their other school buildings.

The project, designed by DLAArchitects, whichdoes many projects for the high school district, involves the interior remodeling of entrances at various entry points to the school buildings.

The work will include new lighting, reconfiguration of existing mechanical systems, wall framing, masonry, painting, carpeting and casework.

Board Vice President RandyHeuser said officials, who have discussed this project in recent years, were pleased to finally bemoving forward with the work, which will take much of the current school year to complete.

District Superintendent Ty Harting said the work will make the school buildings more safe for students by better controlling access to the buildings.

“That’s not to say we didn’t have secure schools already,” he said. “This is just an upgrade.”

The school board also voted to donate a 14-yearoldJohnDeere lawnmower to the village of Robbins.

Gregory Tejeda is a freelance reporter.