Sterling schools to finish up third phase of high school’s $13.8M HVAC project this summer

STERLING – Now that school is out, Sterling Public Schools will work over the summer to finish several projects in the district’s three-year facility plan.

Among the work is the third and final phase of a heating, ventilation and air conditioning system at Sterling High School using federal COVID-19 relief funds, interior door replacement at both SHS and Challand Middle School, and health and life safety work at both schools.

Other projects include sidewalk replacement and parking lot seal coating at several schools. The district also is looking a few years down the road at Jefferson and Franklin schools’ needs and the creation of safety vestibules that will enhance security.

Sterling High School

SHS is finishing the third and final phase in remodeling the school’s HVAC system. Work on this phase began last summer. The original 1948 steam boiler, which Sterling Schools’ Superintendent Tad Everett called “extremely inefficient and very costly,” is being replaced with a more efficient electrical system.

The third phase was finalized and approved by the school board in December 2023, with an estimated cost of $2.5 million. However, SPS Director of Finance Matt Birdsley said the final bid came in at $4.45 million.

Before the pandemic, the cost for all three phases was projected at $9.72 million. That number has since grown to $13.8 million.

“With a project this in-depth, we knew there would be some additional costs,” Birdsley said. “The increase in cost is due to the increased cost of the equipment post-COVID, as well as the unknown expenditures that pop up when you open up walls and ceilings that had been enclosed since the building was originally built.”

Birdsley said SPS used the $4.8 million it received from the Elementary and Secondary Schools Emergency Relief Fund to pay for the first two phases. The federal government gave ESSER funds to schools across the country to improve ventilation in their buildings to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

The remaining HVAC project costs were covered using a combination of Health and Life Safety bonds, working cash bonds, Corporate Personal Property Replacement Tax funds, local sales tax revenue and the Illinois State Board of Education’s School Maintenance Project Grant.

SHS also will replace several interior doors this summer. They need to be brought up to date under new state fire codes, which became apparent after the school was flagged during a health and life safety survey that detected several doors would not stay latched. The same work will be done at CMS next summer.

Bidding for the project went up Jan. 29, and was awarded to Gehrke Construction. The cost for replacing doors at both schools will be $593,500, using HLS and capital funds. Revenue for these two funds comes from the Life Safety Levy and Sales Tax.

SPS also plans to spend $34,600 on several health and life safety survey priority A items at SHS and CMS, including smoke detectors and emergency lights, using HLS funds.

Birdsley said the administration will recommend Wednesday, May 28, that the school board approve an asbestos abatement bid for two classrooms at SHS for a total of $40,500 and one alternate bid for an additional classroom for $7,400.

“The floor tiles in these classrooms are in poor condition and need to be removed,” Birdsley said. “If approved, this work would be completed in summer 2025. Funds for this would come from sales tax revenue.”

Challand Middle School

SPS replaced nine wooden classroom doors at CMS last summer. This summer, it needs to spend $16,500 in sales tax revenue to replace an additional 10 doors.

“We also elected to paint the common areas at Challand as it has been 10-plus years since any painting had been done on the inside,” Birdsley said. “The cost for this is $38,000 and will be funded by sales tax revenue. This includes all of the hallways and stairwells at CMS.”

The school is getting a new track facility that will be completed over the next several summers. The first phase, which began last summer, created an all-weather track and track and field areas, including long jump, triple jump, high jump and pole vault areas.

Birdsley said the new track was used for team practices this spring, and the second phase is projected to add portable bleachers for spectators and a building that will be used for concessions, restrooms and storage. He said SPS is currently working on its facility plan for 2026-2028, which will include the CMS track’s second phase as part of its draft plan, but no decisions have been made.

Other summer 2025 projects

Sections of sidewalks will be replaced at SHS and Franklin and Lincoln elementary schools at a cost of $32,700, using sales tax revenue.

Parking lot seal coating will be done at Washington, Lincoln, Franklin and Jefferson elementary schools, as well as at the SPS warehouse, for $46,368, paid for with sales tax revenue.

SHS’s Roscoe Eades Stadium will undergo masonry and brick maintenance. The project is part of annual maintenance to the stadium’s exterior and includes tuck pointing and sealing exterior brick. The work will cost $48,000 and be paid for by sales tax revenue.

Lights will be replaced at the field house. Birdsley said the current light fixtures are outdated and the bulbs will no longer be available for purchase in Illinois. The work will cost $25,170 using sales tax revenue.

Future projects

“We are anticipating including Jefferson and Franklin renovations in our 2026-2028 facility plan and work on those two buildings would begin in summer 2026,” Birdsley said. “This work would be similar to our other remodels and would include a secured entrance vestibule, office renovation, student restroom renovation, replacing flooring, new lights, fresh paint, new lockers, and playground enhancements, among other items.”

The projects will take multiple summers to complete and, based on the costs from remodeling Washington and Lincoln elementary schools, are estimated to cost millions.