Unit 40 Board Agrees to Seek Approval of Projects at Central, EHS

The Effingham Unit 40 Board of Education Thursday voted to seek the State's approval of several infrastructure improvement projects at Central School and at Effingham High School.

If the State gives the okay, the projects would be paid for with Health and Life Safety bond funds. The proposal is to extend the life of health and life safety bonds now being paid off by five more years. The bonds were extended in 2010 to pay for other improvement projects. District officials said the plan is to continue paying $1,351,442 in each of the five additional years to cover the cost of the work.

Projects at Central School would include replacing the single pane windows with thermal pane windows, removal of asbestos tile in flooring found in areas on both floors of the building, putting ceramics in restrooms where such work hasn't already been done to allow for better maintenance, and replacing the roof areas over the cafeteria, locker rooms and boiler room.

The projects at Effingham High School include replacing 167,000 square feet of roof, replacement of the HVAC system and installation of air-conditioning in both gyms in the building, addition of a third boiler, improving lighting, and drainage improvements in the area outside the Art room to handle storm water during downpours and better carry the water away from the building.

The goal is to get the work completed by the start of the 2017-18 school year.

If the projects are approved by the State, work to get the projects out for bids will soon follow.