Hamilton, iL – The Hamilton School District will borrow about $600,000 to pay for improvements to several buildings. The district will put a new roof on the junior high and high schools, reconstruct two junior high bathrooms, and replace the ceiling in the high school gym.
Superintendent Jim Jackson says the largest project will be the renovation of the high school science wing. He says, "We owe that to the kids. We have a responsibility to make sure that they have an opportunity to work in state-of-the-art science labs."
Jackson says the borrowing plan will require the district to increase its property tax rate by about $0.15 for the next ten years. The tax hike is expected to generate about $87,000/year.
Jackson says construction will get underway as soon as school is out this May. The work is expected to be completed by the time school opens in the fall.
The Hamilton School Board has already accepted the low bids for the projects.
Roof - Goerlich Roofing - Quincy, IL - $158,800 ($10,000 contingency)
Ceiling - Schlipman Construction - Quincy, IL - $53,592 ($5,000 contingency)
Restrooms - A. Fischer Builders, Inc. - Quincy, IL - $70,000 ($5,000 contingency)
Science Wing - Schlipman Construction - Quincy, IL - $305,000 ($10,000 contingency)
The projects have been delayed several times during the last few years. Jackson says that actually helped the district because the 2009 bids were much lower than the 2008 bids.