District 86 officials proposed spending $82 million on campus improvements at Hinsdale Central and Hinsdale South. The three-year plan, presented at a committee meeting Tuesday, Nov. 10, targets turf fields, weight rooms and gym air conditioning for completion by mid-2028.

The proposed timeline, first reported by Patch, covers both campuses. Officials cautioned the schedule is preliminary and will likely change after engineering work is complete.

Of the $82 million, $36 million is earmarked for state-designated "life safety" work, according to Patch. About half of that amount would fund a three-year heat plant renovation at Hinsdale Central.

Much of the remaining money targets athletic facilities. The proposed timeline calls for finishing artificial turf installation on the Centennial soccer field at Hinsdale Central and the multipurpose field at Hinsdale South by mid-2028. Weight room and training facility renovations at both schools, locker room refurbishment at Central, and gym air conditioning at both campuses are also slated for completion by that date.

Non-athletic projects are part of the plan. They include lab renovations for science and family and consumer sciences classes, an outdoor commons at Hinsdale South, and an auditorium renovation at Hinsdale Central.

Board member Bobby Fischer, who joined the Nov. 10 meeting remotely, pushed to accelerate the turf projects. He cited a recent incident in which a referee nearly called off a game at Centennial field because of poor conditions, according to Patch.

Josh Stephenson, the district's top finance official, warned against rushing the turf work because of the complexities of grading the fields.

"I'd hate to push it and have an unfavorable product," Stephenson said, according to Patch.

Several big-ticket items remain undecided. Athletic domes, football stadium upgrades at both campuses, practice field lighting, gym floor replacements and turf for the freshman baseball field at Central are listed as needing more discussion, with no timeline assigned.

A district document last updated Nov. 6 lists more than 30 projects spanning 2027 through 2030. The document notes it is for "display/communication purposes only" and that projects and timelines are subject to change.

The district is not seeking voter approval through a referendum for the bonds. The tax increase tied to the debt is expected to be $83 per year for a median-valued home, which is nearly $570,000, according to Patch. That amount would rise by $10 annually.

The condition of the district's athletic facilities has drawn pointed criticism. In coverage published in October by The Hinsdalean, Fischer said after touring the schools: "We went on a tour of the locker rooms … They were disgusting. Those pictures didn't do it justice."

A private group had been raising $6 million to overhaul Hinsdale Central's athletic facility, known as the Bouchard Center. But Superintendent Chip Pettit said in early November that the district was poised to pay for the work itself using bond proceeds, according to Patch.

District 86 voters approved a $139 million referendum in 2019 for projects at both high schools, according to The Hinsdalean. The district has said it has the lowest property tax rate among 20 comparable high school districts.