NILES — This summer as Niles Community School District students left school for break, bond construction on a number of buildings continued full force.

With school set to resume in early September, many students will be returning to brand new classrooms and updated buildings this year.

Dan Applegate, the superintendent for Niles Community Schools District, hoped to show off some of the changes Monday afternoon as he led several members of the Niles Board of Education on a tour of Ballard Elementary School, 1601 W. Chicago Road.  Construction on the school began in the spring of 2017. While parts of the school still look like a construction zone, workers will be installing finishing touches in the weeks to come. After the tour of Ballard, Applegate invited the administrators to look at Ring Lardner, which opened last year and was re-dedicated after construction was completed. He said the purpose of the tours was to give administrators an idea of the finished product.

“When you walk in this year to some of the schools, you are just going to see the wow factor,” Applegate said. “Even the exterior is just beautiful.”

Walking through the halls of Ballard, those on the tour marveled at how shiny and new the school looked.

Construction is being completed by Skillman Corporation. Nate Preston, the project manager for the company, said while the majority of the upgrades are mechanical, students will notice the difference. Preston estimated that there are about 40 classrooms in Ballard and each received renovations. He said upgrades include new flooring, furniture, windows, ceiling and occupancy sensor lights, to name a few. The school also got an upgraded HVAC system, fire alarm system and four new boilers, which Tracy Hertsel, the director of student support services, said he expects to cut utility costs. Preston said financially there were no construction “overages” at Ballard.

In the days to come, Preston said there will be some final cleaning and testing done to the new boiler and fire alarm systems. When school resumes, Preston said there will be a few “punch ticket items” that will need completion. He said these will include minor things like paint and repairs to base boards.

Construction is expected to be completed at Eastside Connections before the start of the school year. Students at Eastside were temporarily moved to Oak Manor while construction was completed last year. Students from Cedar Lane Alternative Education are expected to move to Oak Manor this school year.

Upgrades for Southside and Northside are expected to go out to bid in the fall.

Applegate is expecting to host rededication ceremonies for the completed schools. Eastside will be rededicated at 1:30 p.m. Sept. 27; Ballard Elementary at 1:30 p.m. Sept. 28 and Niles High School and Cedar Lane sometime at the end of September or beginning of October. Last year, Howard Ellis and Ring Lardner were rededicated following construction completion.

With more upgrades complete this summer, Applegate said the district once again had voters to thank. In the spring of 2015, community members approved a $40 million bond initiative to make repairs and upgrades to all of the district’s schools — from furniture to improved security and heating and air systems. 

“We are so thankful to the community’s support through this bond initiative,” Applegate said. “There have been a lot of headaches but seeing the end result, you say ‘wow that is really worth it.’ We have put in equipment that is going to last.”