Even Playground Ready At New Elmhurst School

ELMHURST, IL – Everything appears ready at Elmhurst's new Field Elementary School for the start of class Thursday.

This is the second new school that was made possible by a $168 million referendum that voters passed in 2018.

At 4:15 p.m. Wednesday, a ribbon-cutting ceremony is planned for Field, 295 N. Emroy Ave. A similar event was held a year earlier at Lincoln Elementary.

Over the last year, the Field Elementary School building was demolished and then replaced. The project cost tens of millions of dollars. (David Giuliani/Patch)

At Lincoln, everything was ready but the playground, which was finished shortly after.

For Field, even the playground was done in time for school. On Tuesday afternoon, children were trying out the new equipment as their mothers and fathers watched. Parents said it was a first-grade meetup.

Lincoln cost the taxpayers $31.5 million.

An Elmhurst School District spokeswoman said Tuesday she did not have the total for Field yet. In 2021, officials said the project was estimated to cost $32 million, but it was unclear whether that number was given before or after the decision to expand the project by a third.

As with Lincoln, the district demolished the old Field, which was 91 years old.

According to a district news release, the new school includes 24 dedicated classrooms, several flexible spaces for collaboration and small groups, and secured main entrances and outdoor instruction areas.

The gym will serve as a tornado shelter, the district said.

The school is not set to be open for public tours Wednesday. An open house is slated for 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Sept. 16.