Lockport voters to decide on high school renovation funding next year

LOCKPORT, Ill. - Voters living in Lockport High School District 205 will be asked in March to decide on $85 million in funding for renovations.

It comes weeks after a ceiling collapsed in a classroom on the school's Central Campus.

Board members have since passed a referendum, which they say is the first to address the aging building. School district officials say restoring the campus would be more cost-effective than building a new school.

Fortunately, the incident occurred before any students or staff were inside the building, but the collapse raised questions about the structural integrity of the school.

Earlier this month, the Lockport Township High School District 205 Board of Education approved a resolution that would resume in-person learning for Central Campus students and staff members at the Lincoln-Way North High School property in Frankfort. The building was closed in 2016.

Lincoln-Way's Board of Education then unanimously approved the city of Lockport and the Village of Frankfort's inter-governmental agreement two days later.

It is unclear how long classes will be held at Lincoln-Way North.