Several new details emerged about Niles Community School’s potential bond issue during Monday night’s school board meeting, including a price range for the bond and the potential projects it would pay for.

Kathy Zeider, school board president, said she would like to see the district levy between two and three mills, meaning the bond issue would fall somewhere between $20 and $30 million, with one mill generating approximately $10 million.

Supt. Michael Lindley said it would be a 30-year bond. In the first year, it is estimated that a person with a property assessed at $150,000 would pay approximately $75 per mill levied, Lindley said.

The district hopes to place the bond issue before voters in the spring.

What would it pay for?

Project architect firm TMP Architecture presented four possible scenarios Monday, all of which address what architects determined are the basic needs of the district’s 13 buildings: mechanical replacements, electrical upgrades, phones/public announcement upgrades, American Disabilities Act issues, technology upgrades and life safety improvements.

Scenario 1
The scenario recommended by district administrators — scenario 1 — has a projected budget of $25.8 million
In scenario 1, the district would close three buildings: Cedar Lane, James Ellis Elementary and Westside Administrative Center.
To accommodate students from closed buildings, the district would:
• Move Oak Manor to Ring Lardner
• Move Cedar Lane and Alternative Education to Oak Manor
• Add on to Howard to accommodate James Ellis students
• Add on to Ring Lardner to accommodate Oak Manor students
“It (scenario 1) is the most cost efficient and least disruptive to students,” said Superintendent Michael Lindley.
Click here to see the plan.

Scenario 2
Scenario 2 has a projected budget of $25.1 million.
Included in the plan:
• Move administration from Westside to Northside
• Move Oak Manor to Ring Lardner
• Move all early childhood and kindergarten to Oak Manor
• Close Cedar Lane
• Move Cedar Lane to Westside
• Close James Ellis
• Add on to Oak Manor, Ring Lardner and Howard
Click here to see the plan.

Scenario 3
Scenario 3 has a projected budget of $24.7 million.
Included in the plan:
• Close Westside
• Reconfigure Ballard into K-3rd
• Reconfigure Eastside into 4-6th
• Close Cedar Lane
• Move Cedar Lane and Alternative Education to Oak Manor
• Move Eastside to Howard
• Create a new Administration and Training Center Building
• Move Oak Manor to Eastside
Click here to see the plan.

Scenario 4
Scenario 4 has a projected budget of $26.8 million.
Included in the plan:
• Close Cedar Lane
• Close James Ellis
• Move Cedar Lane to Westside
• Move James Ellis to Howard
• Move Oak Manor to Ring Lardner
• Move administration to Oak Manor
• Add on to Ring Lardner and Howard
Click here to see the project.

Additional projects

In their presentation, TMP Architecture listed a number of other projects that could be added to any scenario, including improving classroom finishes ($6.6 million), adding new furniture ($1.4 million) and replacing doors ($1.6 million), windows ($4.2 million), asphalt ($4.9 million) and plumbing ($2 million).

Lindley said the board could decide to place two proposals before voters in the spring, one containing basic needs projects and the other containing additional projects. The first basic needs proposal would have to pass, he said, for the second to pass.

The board has until Dec. 1 to decide what projects it wants to place before voters.

Due to inclement weather, Niles Community Schools canceled its final community engagement session about the bond issue Tuesday. Lindley said the district would administer an online survey within the next day or two in order to get feedback about the proposed projects.

The district will announced when the survey is ready later this week.