The trailers in the bus yard that served as District 203’s transportation facility until last spring are on the way out.
The district will replace its aging transportation hub behind Naperville North High School with a new building on the same property, after the school board approved $12.2 million in construction bids during its meeting Monday night.
New building to include energy-efficient features
The new transportation building will feature solar panels and geothermal wells to assist with temperature control, and it will serve as a meeting hub for bus drivers.
Since last May — when the district vacated the former transportation facility — drivers have been gathering at a rented space across 5th Avenue from where their buses are parked.
Superintendent Dan Bridges said the rented facility costs roughly $4,000 a month and “requires a less-than-ideal crossing” for drivers. The rent is an expense school board member Hollly Blastic said she’ll be excited to save once construction of the new space is complete.
“I think it’s a really important investment, and I really appreciate the extra work you did with the energy efficiency,” Blastic told administrators during Monday’s meeting.
‘Good investment’ for district’s future
Bridges said the former transportation facility, which consisted of “mobile units parked in the parking lot” had “well exceeded its usable timeline.” When maintenance costs mounted last spring, administrators asked the school board to consider using money from the district’s fund balance to build a replacement facility.
Cost estimates when the board approved plans for the new hub last August ranged from $14.8 million to $17.4 million. The $12.2 million bid price came in more than $2 million below than the low end.
“I want to thank you for bringing this set of bids in under budget,” school board member Joseph Kozminski said. “In my mind, this is also an investment for the long-term future of the district, with the renewable energy and infrastructure improvements that we’re putting in there. I think this is a good investment.”
School board member Marc Willensky said he’s excited to see how the geothermal and solar features will help save money in the future.
“Given that we are coming in under budget, it would be great to make sure we keep track of the benefits of how it will lower costs,” Willensky said.
Dissent from one board member
The board approved the construction bids by a 5-1 vote, with school board President Charles Cush absent. Board member Melissa Kelley Black cast the dissenting vote against the spending.
She said to achieve “fiscal responsibility of planning ahead,” the district should have discussed transportation facility plans months earlier and factored the spending into the 2025-26 fiscal year budget.
Instead, Chief Financial Officer Michael Frances said the district will bring an amended budget back to school board members for future approval. The amended budget will reflect the additional $12.2 million in spending from the fund balance to pay for the transportation facility overhaul, he said.
Bridges said using excess fund balance money to pay for capital expenses is in line with board policy.
“Due to the size of this expense, it would have been a use of fund balance dollars regardless of when it was approved,” Bridges said.
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