Downers Grove North High School 4436 Main Street Downers Grove, IL 60515 Wednesday, November17,
Thursday, December 13,2015
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Concept map for first floor as 0f
10/19
POOL
Facility renovations considered for D99 schools
Natalie White | Sports Editor
nwhi0808@csd99.org
The Master Facility Plan (MFP), estimated to cost
69.9 million dollars if the version presented to the BOE
Oct. 19 is adopted, has been in the works for about two
years and would involve renovations to DGN and DGS.
The MFP has left students, staff and community mem-
bers with lots of questions. According to DGN Associate
Principal Dr. Ken Sorensen, the school board prompted
the district 3-4 years ago to create an idea of what im-
provements they would like to see in both schools.
At DGN specifically, possible renovations may occur
in the courtyard, library, cafeteria, study hall room 050,
underground track, white gym, counseling services,
college and career center, art rooms, bleachers, a small
3-story addition and press box. Additionally, with the
current MFP, air-conditioning would be installed every-
where in the school except the field house and hallways.
However, there are still many decisions to be made and
all concepts are subject to change.
At the time the Strategic Plan was developed, during
the 2010-2011 school year, there was a lot of sentiment
that we should review our facilities. Education is al-
ways changing; it is good practice to continue to evalu-
ate educational facilities. It is also important to contin-
ue to renovate and improve public facilities so they last
a long time. That protects the taxpayers investment,
Superintendent Mark McDonald said.
2.3 million dollars were introduced to be spent on
renovating the bleachers at DGN, press box and possi-
2013 Volume 46 Issue 3
In-Depth (6-7)
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bly squad rooms, which are visiting team locker rooms
at Carstens Field. Approximately 1,000 seats may be
added, the bleachers and press box may be moved cen-
ter with Carstens Field, which was moved a few yards
north during the Master Site plan, which renovated
outdoor facilities.
[The bleachers] are old, theyre small, and if were
installing new stands, more seating makes sense, if
were going to do that it makes sense to center them,
and if its possible to have squad rooms there because
right now we have visiting teams using the garage and
our team comes inside the building, said Associate
Principal Dr. Ken Sorensen.
The basement of DGN is an area of concern for ad-
Quite frankly, [the underground
track] needs to be redone. We are
years, when I say years I mean de-
cades, behind other sch0ols.
-PE chairperson Courtney White
ministrators, as well as faculty. The weight room may
see a bigger electricity circuit to power the new cardio
equipment the school has, and possibly a new under-
ground track floor. Additionally, a cardio room may be
DGNs Student Newspaper
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Read about the differences
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sports.
Costs associated with
potential projects
CAFETERIA/LIBRARY/
CLASSROOMS
- $2.8 Million
INSTRUCTIONAL/
BUILDING SERVICES
- $11.4 Million
INSTRUCTIONAL COM-
MONS/FINE ARTS IM-
PROVEMENTS*
-$18.9 Million
*The Master Facility Plan map is comprised
of three phases. Each phase is highlighted
above and the groupings of renovations were
introduced together. If the renovations are
approved, they will be done one at a time.
Each introduced group of ideas has renova-
tions on multiple floors of the school.
*The Instructional Commons/ Fine Arts
Improvements contains an addition at the
southernmost part of of the map. If this addi-
tion were built, it might hold visual arts rooms
that would be torn down in the construction
of the new commons area on the first floor,
new CTE classrooms on the second floor and
new science labs on the third floor.
added where classroom 050 is now which would be
helpful as long as an entire class can fit into the room,
according to physical education chairperson Courtney
White.
I dont know if there is quality to it [the under-
ground track]. Quite frankly, it needs to be redone. We
are years, when I say years I mean decades, behind oth-
er schools and how they set up their fitness facilities,
said White.
One of the first drafts of the MFP included an extra
gym facility. However, due to that draft of the MFP be-
ing too expensive, the extra gym facility was cut. During
the winter season alone, boys and girls indoor track,
cheerleading, boys and girls basketball, wrestling,
Athenas, girls gymnastics, boys swimming and diving,
Orchesis, Imani Steppers, winterguard, D99 Hoops, as
well as off-season sports, are all competing for time
and space to practice and train indoors on campus.
I would love to have that extra gym back. I know
they cut it [in the current version of the Master Facility
Plan that was presented at the Oct. 19 Board of Educa-
tion meeting], but if we were able to get a third facility
it has to be multi-purpose, it has to be functional for PE
and everything they do, and it has to be functional for
athletics and everything they want to do, said White.
The courtyard may be removed and changed into
a more student-friendly area. However, this change
would shift the classes surrounding the current court-
yard.
(story continued on page 3)