The Macomb school board agreed to issue $6.9 million in general obligation school bonds to pay for several repair projects.
The biggest project is replacing the roof at the high school. Superintendent Patrick Twomey estimated that will cost around $6 million.
Other projects include replacing the rooftop HVAC systems at Lincoln and Edison elementary schools, and replacing flooring at Lincoln.
Twomey said the district has a Double A minus bond rating, which will help secure a lower interest rate on the bond issue.
The superintendent said the district is still deciding how to remodel the high school’s interior.
The building served as a junior-senior high for decades. The seventh and eighth grade students were relocated a year ago when the district opened its new middle school.
Twomey said the district is working with a company that specializes in remodeling schools.
“They very specifically wanted to know what the science teachers needed, because the one thing that we know for sure in this building is, in terms of learning space, it’s the science classrooms – they’re outdated,” he said.
Twomey said it might be another six or seven months before a plan and cost estimates are in.
The district might wait until the summer of 2026 to do the remodeling.
He anticipates the district will issue more bonds to pay for that project, and repay them with revenue received from a new wind farm that’s coming on-line.
Tri States Public Radio produced this story. TSPR relies on financial support from our readers and listeners in order to provide coverage of the issues that matter to west central Illinois, southeast Iowa, and northeast Missouri. As someone who values the content created by TSPR's news department please consider making a financial contribution.
