Today marks one year since Coal City Intermediate School was closed due to structural issues with the roof trusses, and Superintendent Chris Spencer is pleased to report that repairs are underway, and the district remains confident that its fourth and fifth grade classes will return to the school for the 2026–2027 school year.
As you may recall, the school building closed Oct. 30, 2024 when an inspection revealed damage in two of the three trusses over the north gymnasium. This inspection was prompted by a noticeable horizontal crack across the north wall. In consultation with architects, structural engineers and the Grundy/Kendall Regional Office of Education it was determined to be in the best interest of all to abandon the building until a decision could be made on how to best address the issue. In the interim the school’s fourth and fifth grade classes moved to the elementary school.
Based on further discussions with architects and engineers, and with input from the school community, the Coal City Community Unit School District #1 Board of Education authorized repairs including the replacement of the roof and renovations of the gymnasium and adjacent spaces.
Community members passing by the building recently have likely noticed the roof and a portion of the north wall have been removed. Ahead of this, necessary asbestos abatement was completed.
During the summer months the initial stages of a new fire alarm system were
installed. The wood floor, bleachers and stage were removed. A small portion of the
floor and bleachers were kept for historical purposes and are anticipated to be used
in future projects.
Spencer reports that in the process of taking down the bleachers, work crews uncovered programs from past events in the space including those from basketball tournaments, music concerts and a graduation ceremony from the 1960s. As many in the community might recall, the school building was constructed in 1916 as the high school and in the 1970s it became the middle school. So in its 109 years, the building has served thousands of students, and up until its closure last fall it was the most widely used building by community groups.
Renovations within the 8,300 square foot space will result in a multi-use area for a variety of programming. The school’s band/music room will be located in what was the stage area and its former space on the second floor will be abandoned. The adjacent restrooms and locker rooms will remain.
In preparation for the placement of a new roof—flat with a slight pitch for drainage—the chimney located on the north side of the building was taken down brick-by-brick, a process that took a little more than one week.
At this time, the contractor—Performance Services—is reporting the work is ahead of schedule and they are anticipating a delivery of steel for the roof in the early weeks of November which means they will hopefully have the building underroof before winter fully sets in.
The repair and renovation costs have been approved at $4.9 million and will be covered by the proceeds of a bond issuance approved by the Board of Education in 2023. The district did receive $130,000 from an insurance claim and those dollars covered the immediate stabilization of the damaged structure. Spencer said the district remains confident the damage is the result of a storm system that came through the community in July 2024.
“The school district is grateful for the support and understanding of the community during the past year, and in the months ahead,” the Superintendent said, adding, Performance Services has indicated repairs and renovations will be substantially complete by July 2026, providing the district time to reoccupate the space in time to welcome students and staff back for the first day of school in August 2026.
“As we look forward to the re-opening of our district’s oldest academic center, we continue to investigate the long-term viability of not only the Intermediate School, but the Elementary School as well, and the future of what could be a new second to fifth grade attendance center,” Spencer said.