Pekin?s sights set on remodel

PACKWOOD ? The Pekin Community School District plans to propose a $5.5 million general obligation bond to remodel its K-12 facility.

?It?s time to bring the school into the 21st. Century,? said school superintendent Dave Harper, adding that the building hasn?t had a major remodel since it was built. Pekin High School was erected in the 1960s while the elementary school came later in 1970s.

During the late 1990s, the district built a media center, which connected the buildings together.

Harper said the building underwent minor repairs last summer, which included re-tiling the ceiling in the commons area and polishing the floors to eliminate the need for buffing.

?This legacy that our predecessors created by establishing and funding our district buildings back in the 1960s and 1970s, now needs to be updated to meet the current necessities of students and staff,? Harper said. ?We believe between discussions with the board of directors, staff, students and community members, we have a common-sense approach to the bond issue.?

The school will host a series of open houses to allow community members an opportunity to see the district?s current needs.

Harper said the district plans to distribute a proposal to the community that would be taken to the school board for approval in November.

Harper said the district needs signatures equal to 25 percent of the votes from the last official election.

?If we don?t have that 25 percent, we can?t move forward,? Harper said, adding that if the board were to approve the petition, a bond vote could be as early as February.

Proposed improvements include upgrades to the lagoon, lift station and sewer lines; upgrades to the school?s restroom facilities ? bringing them into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act; upgrades to the high school science room, family and consumer science room; a replacement of the high school boiler; upgrades to the fine arts department and locker rooms and improvements to the high school gym?s ventilation system.

?We?re looking at adding two vestibules to the building and identifiable entrances. Expanding our chemistry labs would allow us to construct a 21st century lab ? we want to add classrooms for our 7th and eighth grade students to move them from their current location in the elementary building,? Harper said, adding that the middle school is currently a wing of the elementary school.

He said the high school students would have a new art room since they currently walk to the elementary school for art.

?Our elementary currently doesn?t have an art room so they would move over into that space,? he said.  ?We are also in need of some basic infrastructure repairs to improve our classrooms with LED lighting, carpet and ceiling tiles.?

Harper said the school is also planning to improve upon its safety measures.

?We are excited and well overdue for a remodel of our facilities,? he said. ?We?ve always prided ourselves on top notch students faculty and staff, and we want our building to be the same for our community members ? go Panthers.?