District 204 board approves construction manager contracts for high school renovation projects

Chicago Tribune

09-07-2025

The Indian Prairie School District 204 board on Monday approved the district's contracts with two construction management firms which will lead renovation projects at Waubonsie Valley High School, Neuqua Valley High School and the Birkett Center.
Pepper Construction Company, based out of Barrington, will be overseeing the Waubonsie Valley project, while Chicago-based construction manager Bulley and Andrews will be handling renovations at Neuqua Valley and Birkett, according to the agreements included in Monday's meeting agenda.
This is the latest step in the renovation and construction projects District 204 is undergoing this summer after residents in November voted in support of the district selling up to $420 million in bonds for facility improvements, according to past reporting.
Alongside numerous other projects throughout the district being funded by the bond sales, Waubonsie Valley is getting a $7.6 million auditorium upgrade as part of the bond sale-funded renovations, according to past reporting.
Neuqua is adding to its existing school building so it can bring freshmen back into the building in 2027, freeing up Birkett — where Neuqua freshman have been attending classes for more than 20 years — to be used for other district programming.
At Birkett, the district plans to host STEPS, or Supportive Training Experiences Post-Secondary, the district's job training program for students with special needs, as well as Gail McKinzie High School, which offers a credit recovery program for students, along with other programming and a welcome center.
According to a memo in Monday's meeting agenda, the board gave the green light to hire the two firms in May, and the district has since negotiated the contracts, prices and terms for both, as well as had its legal team review and approve the terms. On Monday, those contracts were approved unanimously by the board as part of the meeting's consent agenda.
The architect for both projects will be Wight and Company, according to past reporting.
The contract with Pepper includes overseeing the multiple-phased renovation throughout Waubonsie and renovation of its athletic stadium.
Bulley and Andrews will be leading additions to Neuqua Valley's main entry and additions for new classrooms, renovations of its main hall and several wings in the school and a new synthetic turf field.
At Birkett, they'll be managing the renovation of the STEPS and Gail McKinzie centers and the renovations of the welcome center, professional development, career and technical education, STEM and district storage areas.