A District 118 school board member says the district needs to move forward with several construction projects it has long talked about.
Lon Henderson spoke out during a hearing last night on the district’s new budget. He asked that an additional $2 million be included for capital projects, such as science labs and gymnasium bleachers at Danville High School and improvements at Northeast Elementary Magnet School.
He says the parking lot at DHS has been a concern for more than 30 years, and he says something needs to be done about a small house the district owns next to the lot on Fairchild Street.
“Is there a plan by the administration for that house?” he asked. “If there is no plan, I think the house needs to come down.”
But Superintendent Alicia Geddis said that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, finding a contractor, labor and materials would be difficult.
“We didn’t want to put it out (to bid) knowing that since COVID season exists, we are unable to get materials or the staff,” Geddis explained.
Narcissus Rankin, the district’s business director, questioned where she would be able to come up with the money Henderson asked for, as the budget is already almost $6 million in the red.
Board Vice President Dr. Randal Ashton said this isn’t the year to go on a capital campaign, as he believes the projects Henderson wants can wait a few more months.
