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Milne Grove Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

Click HERE for Ribbon Cutting Slideshow

02-23-26 Ribbon Cutting Speech  / Dr. Kathleen Wilkey, Superintendent

A New Chapter for Milne Grove: Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

Good afternoon everyone, and welcome.

Today is a momentous day for Milne Grove. We aren’t just cutting a ribbon; we are opening the door to a brighter, safer, and more comfortable future for our students and staff. These improvements represent more than just brick and mortar—they represent our commitment to excellence and our investment in the heart of this community.

Building for the Future

This project has transformed our campus in several vital ways:
  • Safety First: Our new secure entry way ensures that our most precious assets—our students—can learn in an environment that is both welcoming and protected.
  • Collaboration: The addition of a modern conference room provides a dedicated space for our educators and parents to partner together for student success.
  • Inclusion: With the installation of our new elevator, we are ensuring that Milne Grove is truly accessible to every member of our community.
  • Comfort: And finally, the addition of central HVAC throughout the building means that our students can focus on their lessons rather than the temperature outside, creating a consistent, healthy learning environment year-round.

A Community of Gratitude

Projects of this scale do not happen in a vacuum. I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to those who made today possible:
  • The Board of Education: Thank you for your foresight and strategic planning. You saw the need and paved the way for these improvements.
  • Administration: Thank you for your leadership and for navigating the complexities of a major renovation while keeping our educational goals on track.
  • DLA Architects: Thank you for your vision. You took our needs and turned them into a beautiful, functional reality.
  • FH Paschen: Thank you for the hard work and craftsmanship that made this vision a reality. Your dedication to the "heavy lifting" is evident in every corner of this building.
  • Our Staff: To our teachers and support staff—thank you for your incredible tolerance during the dust and noise of construction. Your ability to maintain a positive, focused atmosphere for our students despite the disruptions was nothing short of heroic.
  • Families & Community: Lastly, thank you for your continued support. By investing in this building, you have provided a better educational environment for our current students and for the generations of learners who will follow in their footsteps.

Closing

As we cut this ribbon, let’s celebrate not just the new walls and systems, but the spirit of Milne Grove. We are a community that grows together, learns together, and looks out for one another.
Thank you all for being here to share this milestone!​

Referendum Budget Transparency October 2025
Referendum Budget Transparency October 2025
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Celebrating Our Progress: Breaking Ground On Opportunity

MG Groundbreaking Ceremony Slideshow

Celebrating District 91's Progress: Breaking Ground On Opportunity

Speech Shared by Dr. Wilkey
Good afternoon everyone! On behalf of Lockport School District 91, I would like to extend a heartfelt welcome to our parents, students, esteemed community members, and honored guests. It's truly wonderful to see each of you here today on this momentous occasion.

Today marks a significant milestone in the history of Milne Grove School, and it wouldn't be possible without the incredible support and dedication of so many individuals and groups. We want to express our sincere gratitude to:
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  • Our dedicated students, whose enthusiasm and growth inspire us every day. This addition is ultimately for you, your safety, and to eliminate any physical limitations that would prohibit the use of the second floor.
  • Our tireless teachers and staff, who go above and beyond to create a nurturing and enriching learning environment. This new space will further empower your incredible work in a new collaborative space.
  • Our involved and supportive parents, whose partnership is invaluable to our school's success. Thank you for your continued trust and investment in our vision.
  • Our visionary school board members and administrators, for their leadership and commitment to providing the best possible resources for our students and staff as well as keeping safety a top priority..
  • Our dedicated architects, designers, and construction team, DLA Architects and F.H. Pashen, who have brought this vision to life and will now bring it into physical reality.
  • And to our community, whose ongoing support and belief in the importance of education makes days like today possible.

    • Today, we're not just turning over soil; we're breaking ground on opportunity. This new addition will provide:
  • a safe and secure entry into the building, allowing for the safety of our staff and students to be a top priority, 
  • an elevator for people to move from the first floor to the second floor in a safe manner, removing any physical limitations that may have prohibited people in the past,
  • and finally a new dedicated space for collaboration to take place, whether it is a parent meeting, staff meeting, board of education meeting, etc., this space will bring others together in a larger more comfortable environment to work together on improving student learning.
This expansion represents more than just bricks and mortar; it's an investment in the future. It's a commitment to providing our students with the resources and environment they need to thrive, to learn, to grow, and to reach their full potential.

As we look ahead, we envision this new space buzzing with activity, filled with the sounds of collaboration, discovery, and achievement. We see students engaging in new ways, teachers exploring innovative approaches, and our school community growing even stronger.

The journey of construction will undoubtedly have its moments, and already has in the past weeks, but we are filled with excitement and anticipation for the incredible learning environment this addition will create. We are committed to keeping you informed every step of the way.
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Thank you again to everyone who has played a part in making this dream a reality. Today is a day to celebrate our collective vision and commitment to the future of Milne Grove School. Let's now take this symbolic step together and break ground on a brighter future for our students!

Building Our Future:  Referendum Updates

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March 2025 Update

In the spring of 2023, our community voted in support of a 2.5 million dollar bond that would specifically be used to: 
  • alter, repair, and equip the existing facilities of the district to enhance security at both buildings
  • replace portions of the roof at Kelvin Grove
  • improve the accessibility under the Americans with Disabilities Act at Milne Grove
  • install central air conditioning systems at both school buildings
  • make general improvements at both school buildings to enhance the educational opportunities  
The district has been invested in a fiscally responsible and deliberate approach to allocate funding towards building improvements.  A timeline has been established to ensure projects will be completed by the fall of 2025.  A few minor projects have already taken place, but the extensive work will be taking place this summer at both buildings.  The first major project will be taking place over Spring Break, with work starting at 4pm this Friday, March 21, 2025, as students and staff leave for the week.  
Here is a list of projects as well as a tentative project completion date:
*The most immediate project taking place will be at Milne Grove starting this Friday evening (3/21/25) as students and staff leave for spring break. This will involve the abatement of asbestos ceiling tiles in all classrooms at Milne Grove and floor tiles in the MG west stairwell as well as the KG classrooms that will get new HVAC units installed this summer.  The KG floor tiles will only involve a few located in the space by the windows where the new univents will be installed.  

With the projects outlined above, we are doing our best to have as little disruption to the current school year as possible, however, there will be some minor changes when we return from spring break, specifically at Milne Grove.  Those changes will include:
  • MG classes will not have ceiling tiles re-installed until the HVAC project is completed over the summer.  The classrooms will have an open ceiling look, similar to what is in the KG junior high classrooms.  The ceilings will have been thoroughly cleaned, vacuumed, and clear of any dust particles as required by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for any asbestos removal project before allowing clearance for staff and students back into the rooms after spring break.
  • MG morning drop-off for Oasis, breakfast, and tutoring will have a slightly altered door entrance.  More details to come.  ​

For our Milne Grove families, please look for additional information regarding updates on the morning drop-off as well as some visitor parking changes.  

We are very excited about all the work to be done in the upcoming months. Please be on the lookout for updates along the way, very exciting times ahead for D91, Go Hornets!

Sincerely,
Dr. Kathleen Wilkey, Superintendent

Original Timelines

  • January 2022 review financial projections and building bond for junior high that will be paid off in 2023
  • April 2022 select a new architect
  • Summer 2022 complete Ten-year Life Safety Plan; identify priority projects
  • August 2022 board votes to add limiting rate question to November ballot
  • Fall 2022 begin working with architect to identify projects that we would like to accomplish and costs associated with them to be paid with limiting rate
  • November 2022 failed limiting rate referendum
  • January 2023 board votes to add building bond referendum question on April ballot
  • Winter 2023 developed new plan to accomplish identified projects
  • April 2023 passed 2.4 million dollar bond referendum
  • Summer 2023 developed bid package for projects at MG only
  • December 2023 reject bid packages due to cost
  • Spring/Summer 2024 developed new bid package for projects at both MG and KG
  • October 2024 accept bid package in the amount of 4.2 million dollars

       BUILDING BID APPROVED - CONSTRUCTION COMING SUMMER 2025

Summer projects will include the following:

Milne Grove
  • New construction of a secure entrance, elevator, and second floor conference room
  • Central HVAC in the recently renovated spaces to include the main office, reset room, support staff offices within the reset room, and teachers lounge
  • Central HVAC in all classrooms, removing the current window unit and replacing it with a window for more natural light
  • Central HVAC in the gymnasium/multi-purpose room 

Kelvin Grove
  • Central HVAC in 4th/5th grade classrooms, conference room, counselor office, math RtI room, LASEC 3-5 CAD room, door 2 office, band room and music room.

Message from   Dr. Kathleen Wilkey,    D91 Superintendent

District 91 Spring 2023 Community Newsletter

Spring 2023 District Community Newsletter
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Espanol
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Polsku
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 D91 Board Approves April 4th Ballot Question

​At the January District 91 Board Meeting, the Board of Education voted to add a question on the April 4th election ballot that asks the D91 taxpayers to support a $2.5 million bond that will be specifically used to: 
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  • alter, repair, and equip the existing facilities of the District to enhance the security at both school buildings
  • replace portions of the roof at Kelvin Grove Middle School
  • improve the accessibility under the Americans with Disabilities Act at Milne Grove Elementary School
  • install central air conditioning systems at both school buildings
  • make general improvements at both school buildings to enhance the educational opportunities

This is a different approach than what was on the November ballot.  The April 4th ballot question is asking for the taxpayers to approve a $2.5 million bond that would replace the current bond payment from the junior high addition that is to be paid off this year.  By replacing the current bond payment, there would be no tax increase (from School District 91) and the proceeds of the bond will fund the projects listed above.  The bond would be paid off in seven years, with the final payment being made in the year 2031.  

Please continue to watch for more information that will be shared regarding the April 4th ballot question.

eport  Facility Assessment and Life Safety Report Update​Update​
Facility Assessment / Life Safety Report Update
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