The District 58 Board of Education held a Special Meeting on Monday, Sept. 27, 2021 at Downers Grove Village Hall and via YouTube livestream. View the agenda. The meeting video will be posted on the District 58 YouTube page later this week.
During the meeting, the Board voted 7-0 to award a contract for the sale of the Longfellow Center to McNaughton Development for $4.155 million. District 58 received four responsive bids, and the McNaughton bid was the highest responsive bid.
Assistant Superintendent for Business Todd Drafall reported that McNaughton Development had reviewed the bid documents and asked many questions prior to submitting their bid. Superintendent Dr. Kevin Russell noted that McNaughton is currently building a 10-lot residential project in the Hillcrest/O’Neill neighborhood of Downers Grove. The District will now enter a due diligence and attorney review period with the sale.
District 58 has been discussing the future of Longfellow Center since it closed as a school in 1978. These conversations accelerated in recent years after District 58 identified finance and facility planning as one of three major goals areas in its most recent Strategic Plan. Visit www.dg58.org/facility-planning and go to the “Longfellow Center Discussions” section for a detailed look at the recent discussions that led to this decision.
View the Board memo to learn more about the bid.
During the meeting, the Board also:
- Listened to two public comments from residents opposed to the Longfellow sale.
- Approved a list of bills.
- Designated a laminator, file cabinets, couches and a desk as surplus equipment.
To view details, view the agenda.
Upcoming events:
- Friday, Oct. 8 at 7 a.m.: Financial Advisory Committee Meeting at Longfellow Center
- Wednesday, Oct. 13 at 7 p.m.: Regular Board Meeting at O’Neill Middle School
District 58 Board of Education members are: Darren Hughes, president; Gregory Harris, vice president; Kirat Doshi, Melissa Ellis, Emily Hanus, Steven Olczyk and Tracy Weiner, with Dr. Kevin Russell, superintendent; and Melissa Jerves, board secretary.