Construction fencing is going up at Barnsdale Early Childhood Center this week — the first visible sign of a district-wide building overhaul that will touch La Grange School District 102 campuses this summer.

The work is part of RenewD102, a facilities improvement plan shaped by a 33-member community team of parents, residents, and district staff over a four-month engagement process. The district confirmed construction details at its April 9 Board of Education meeting. The total project cost has not been publicly released.

Barnsdale families are already feeling the impact. The district told families that arrival and dismissal routines at the pre-K and kindergarten campus on Barnsdale Road will shift as fencing goes up around the construction zone.

What's getting built

D102 buildings including Barnsdale Early Childhood Center, Forest Road School, Cossitt Avenue School, and Park Junior High will receive upgrades that include HVAC replacements, roof work, new secure doors and locks, updated bathrooms, and new rubberized playground surfaces.

Beyond the shared improvements, each school has its own major projects:

• Barnsdale (built 1958, 305 students): Four new classrooms for early childhood programs, a new accessible playground, and a move of district administration offices to Barnsdale to free up space for 6th graders at Park Junior High.
• Forest Road (built 1950, 447 students): A new secure entrance, new cafeteria, updated music room, and a new STEM classroom.
• Cossitt Avenue (built 1922, 474 students): A new gym, a new elevator for accessibility, and a new STEM classroom.
• Park Junior High (built 1901, 658 students): Classroom renovations to support a new 6th-through-8th-grade middle school model, new and renovated science labs, a renovated cafeteria, new locker rooms, and an elevator.

Every classroom across the district will receive new flooring, ceilings, paint, LED lighting, movable furniture, and secure doors, according to district building plans.

Calendar shift for families

To make room for construction crews, the district modified the 2026–2027 school calendar. The first day of school is now September 2, 2026 — creating an extended summer break of more than 12 weeks.

The RenewD102 Facilitating Team was co-chaired by community members Valerie Depa, Steve Hartley, and Kathleen Valenta alongside district leaders including Superintendent Chris Covino and Board of Education President Ed Campbell. The team held eight meetings and gathered input from more than 100 workshop participants before finalizing the plan.