District 33C Reported 'Dire Need Of Updates' Before Pole Accident

LOCKPORT, IL — After a light pole fell at Butler School on Monday and injured three students, many parents are concerned and asking for answers. CBS reported that additional light poles have now been removed from the Lockport School, which is part of Homer District 33C.

In a statement from the district, it said, "The district's first concern is the safety and well being of our students. Due to the fact that this involves individual students and we are currently investigating the incident the District has no further comment."

The district said it recognizes the gravity of the situation and doesn't want to minimize what happened.

"As a precaution, several poles in the vicinity of students have been removed from Butler’s grounds. Additionally, we have contacted and are working to employ a structural engineer to evaluate the integrity of all light poles throughout the district."

Butler School was built in 2001 and serves first through fourth graders, according to board documents. In a post on the district website titled "Homer 33C facilities in dire need of updates and repairs," from October 2017, the district shares a facility report from Tria Architecture. The report states that over $36 million is needed for facilities in District 33C.

In the post on the district website from 2017, the district writes that "an audit of Homer School District 33C facilities has uncovered some unsettling issues at every school, including leaking roofs, failing HVAC systems and corroded pipes."

The report details upgrades that are needed and lists them as level 1 - urgent, level 2 - required and level 3 - recommended. Homer Junior High School was listed as needing the most work, and the district has addressed control issues and humidity build up at the school by adding roof units. The district also installed a new playground at Goodings Grove this year, according to board documents.

According to the report, the most urgent needs for the district included: security cameras at school entrances, updated fire alarm systems at Homer Junior High School, Hadley Middle School and Goodings Grove, mechanical unit upgrades and replacement at Butler School, and roof repairs, maintenance or replacement at Goodings Grove, Butler, Young schools.

As for Butler School, the report stated there was $1.3 million worth of level 1 repairs, $742,000 worth of level 2 and $1.5 million of level 3. According to the report, no projects were listed at Butler for 2018 or the 2019 Capital Projects list.

The report listed Butler School in 2020 Capital Projects, and stated renovations would include: mechanical unit upgrades and replacement, installing a water softener, counter top replacement and shingle roof replacement.

Image via District 33C.