A task force committee has been formed to review plans for a major renovation or the possibility of constructing a new Central Middle School in Evergreen Park.
Dr. Jenna Woodland, who has served as superintendent of Evergreen Park School District 124 since July 1, 2021, said that at the minimum a major renovation is necessary for Central Middle School, 9400 S. Sawyer Ave.
When Woodland arrived as superintendent, the feedback she received from teachers and many parents is that Central Middle School has become antiquated.
“They told me when I got here that Central Middle School is going to be your biggest battle,” Woodland said.
Central Middle School is the feeder school for four elementary schools in the village: Northwest, 3630 W. 92nd St.; Northeast, 9058 S. California Ave.; Southwest, 9900 S. Central Park Ave.; and Southeast, 9850 S. Francisco Ave.
Central Middle School added sixth-graders back in 2015. The enrollment is now up to 619 students. Woodland said they added more sixth-grade students this year and it appears that total will increase.
The decision to form the task force committee is to address the needs for the school, which dates back to 1927, and what infrastructure improvements have to be considered, Woodland said. The conference room is more than adequate but a recent tour of the technology department office revealed limitations.
“All five employees have to work in there,” Woodland said. “It is very confined with not much room.”
The school has three levels, which includes an aging basement. A room is used for storage on the first floor where portions of the room are dark with peeling paint in some areas.
The cafeteria appears to be in overall good shape but may not be large enough in the future to seat students. Currently, there is room for 150 students in the cafeteria.
“They do a good job in here,” Woodland said. “All the food is fresh and we send food to all the other schools.”
Woodland also provided a tour of the choir room that is cramped for space.
“It is pretty tight in here and there is a lack of space for supplies,” Woodland said.
Special Resource Officer Charmaine Wright said that Woodland and Dr. Jenna Moller, the school principal, have been responsive to her requests for some recent improvements.
When pressed what she would like added to Central Middle School, Wright did not hesitate to answer.
“I would like to see two-way mirrors, convex mirrors, which would allow officers to see around corners and into areas out of sight,” said Wright, who has been with the school for three years.
“We could see potential problems. The building could be a little more updated.”
She pointed to the ceilings that have dim lighting and need upkeep.
“If we could take care of that it would be really helpful,” Wright said.
The elevator is slow but operative, Wright said, but may need repairs eventually for safety purposes. The certificate of inspection was last marked on Feb. 25, 2020. Illinois Elevator Safety Administrative Rules requires that the most current certificate must be displayed.
Instructor Cheryl Floramo has been a fixture at Central Middle School and will be retiring in June. Floramo said there needs to be a new school and believes it is detrimental for students to learn in the future. The science lab is obsolete and an adjoining room has a deteriorating ceiling and frequent odors emanating from that area, she said.
“You need a new building,” Floramo said. “Since I’ve been here, there have been three renovations. But in each case it was only patch work. “They were not thorough enough. That’s the biggest problem.”
Elizabeth Rapp, who has taught at Central for 19 years, agrees with Floramo. She said that the locker rooms are old and there is only one bathroom on the second floor for faculty.
‘It would be refreshing to see a new building,” Rapp said. “You can’t keep using a Band-Aid to make improvements.”
Woodland said that carpeting in classrooms dates back many years but to remove it would result in exposing faculty and students to asbestos. The carpeted rooms would have to be closed off for an extended period, she said. Aging air conditioning units are also a problem, Woodland added.
She said that task force meetings will continue and mailers will be sent to residents during the summer. Community forums will take place in the fall, Woodland said.
Woodland said she would like to have more community engagement to make residents and local officials aware of the conditions of the facility. She estimates that a new school building will cost about $80 million.
“That’s a lot but it isn’t going to get any cheaper if we wait,” Woodland said. “I think we have to make them aware that we could use a new building.”
If a new school were to be built, it would most likely begin closer to 95th Street where the present area is used for recreation. Woodland said the asphalt surface is not conducive for recess and recreational activities.
But Woodland said that she and other faculty members are willing to listen to ideas.
“We want community input and want to know their opinions,” she added.
