Safety Surveys Reveal Over $570,000 in Needed Repairs at Peotone Schools

207U School Regular Board Meeting September 22, 2025

Article Summary: Ten-year health and life safety surveys for four Peotone school buildings have identified a combined total of over $570,000 in recommended repairs and updates. The Board of Education approved the reports, which detail dozens of deficiencies ranging from fire safety issues and electrical problems to needed masonry work.

School Safety Survey Key Points:

• Reports Approved: The Peotone Board of Education formally approved the 2025 10-year health and life safety survey reports for four of its school buildings.

• Total Cost: The estimated cost to address all identified issues across Connor Shaw Center, Peotone Elementary, Peotone Intermediate, and Peotone Junior High totals $571,200.

• Identified Issues: Violations include missing fire-rated glazing, inoperable door closers on fire-rated doors, electrical panel issues, deteriorated masonry, and inadequate exhaust hoods.

• Next Steps: The district will use these reports, completed by Healy, Bender, Patton, and Been Architects, to plan for necessary remediation work with its new architectural firm, Wight & Co.

PEOTONE, IL – Required 10-year safety surveys have uncovered more than half a million dollars in needed repairs across four schools in Peotone School District 207U, according to reports approved by the Board of Education on Monday, September 22, 2025.

The health and life safety reports, conducted by the architectural firm Healy, Bender, Patton, and Been, identified dozens of violations and recommended corrections totaling an estimated $571,200. The surveys covered Connor Shaw Center (CSC), Peotone Elementary School (PES), Peotone Intermediate Center (PIC), and Peotone Junior High School (PJHS).

The estimated costs for repairs are broken down by school:

• Peotone Elementary School: $199,260

• Peotone Junior High School: $162,540

• Peotone Intermediate Center: $116,220

• Connor Shaw Center: $93,180

Among the most expensive items are significant fire safety upgrades. At PES, replacing glazing with 20-minute fire-rated glass and blanking off a louver in a fire-rated partition are estimated to cost a combined $50,500. At PJHS, installing panic hardware on fire-rated doors is estimated at $32,000, and providing new door closers is estimated at $27,300. Another major project identified at PIC is a $45,000 exhaust hood for the 6-burner range in the kitchen.

Other deficiencies across the buildings include deteriorated electrical panels, missing exit signs, open junction boxes, cracked exterior bricks allowing water penetration, and items stored improperly in boiler rooms or too close to ceilings.

The board approved the reports unanimously. These findings will now serve as a guide for the district’s new architects, Wight & Co., as they begin to develop a long-range facility plan, which is expected to address both safety issues and larger questions of school consolidation.