The school facilities planning team uncovered many improvements that needed to be made fefore they became deferred maintenance problems, prompting the district officials to redraft their Facilities Master Plan and expand and update their two campuses.

After a thorough site analysis and by working closely with district administrators and their architect/engineer, Buffalo Grove IL-based Siemens developed a performance-based solution to meet the district's specific needs. The comprehensive, two-phase plan included energy conservation and facility improvement measures to improve indoor comfort, air quality and lighting levels in more than one million sq. ft. of school facilities without any additional tax burden to the taxpayers.

Improvements included installing a campuswide building automation system (BAS) to reduce costs and provide facility managers with centralized control. Two new chiller plants were integrated into the BAS resolving a Freon compliance issue. Numerous lighting fixtures were retrofitted to high-efficiency models. Windows and doors werew replaced for improved comfort and insultation, and more.

To coincide with the district's educational calendar, the majority of the work was completed during the summer vacation without interruption to classes and programs held at the school. The company also provided challenging summer internships for district students, introducing them to the workplace environment. This opportunity allowed students to gain real-life experiences whild working for the company's project manager during the summer construction period.