Operations team outlines facility priorities, HVAC and safety upgrades after 10‑year inspection

The East Aurora School District 131 operations department presented a year‑end improvement report on June 15 that included seven departmental goals, a planned district facility assessment and the results of a 10‑year health, life and safety inspection.

Operations director Andy Allen and staff said the district’s inspection categorized needs into A (must‑do), B (should‑do) and C (could‑do) items. The consultant estimate totaled about $13.75 million across all categories (A approximately $150,000; B about $3.2 million; C about $10.4 million). Allen said the maintenance team completed most A items in‑house and saved substantial dollars compared with outside estimates: "We were able to successfully complete all the A items in‑house ... we got that done for about one‑tenth of the price," he told the board.

Operations also reported ongoing HVAC and RTU replacements at the high school and other campuses and said many C‑category recommendations are not immediate emergencies but inform longer‑term capital planning. The board had previously approved procurement of a facility assessment consultant to inform multi‑year capital prioritization.

Transportation and safety updates included rollout of a GPS tracking app for buses to notify parents of estimated arrival times and an electronic student conduct referral system that routes driver reports directly to schools. Security improvements described by staff included monthly coordination with the Aurora Police Department, ALICE and ALS training for staff, limited hallway camera installations at selected schools, and phased vestibule upgrades with grant support identified for some campuses.

Board members thanked operations staff for coordination with grant and safety partners and noted a recent $350,000 grant to support vestibule work at the high school.