Lake County Gazette

Nearly eight months into its facilities improvement project, Mundelein High School reports that construction is proceeding on schedule and remains under budget. The first part of phase I, which involved renovating the MHS Annex, has been completed. However, much work remains ahead, with the most intensive construction planned for summer 2026.

Currently, crews are working on building eight new classrooms on the west side of the school, installing a stormwater detention system at the south end of the building, and preparing land for athletic fields at Village Green.

“We’re very happy with our progress at this point,” said Dr. Corey Tafoya, Superintendent of Districts 75 and 120. “It’s very exciting to see the project taking shape. But we know we have a long way to go.”

Funding for most of the project comes from a $149.5 million referendum approved by voters in November 2024. At present, construction services are being financed through $50 million in debt service funds without issuing any referendum bonds.

The facilities improvement effort began in March and aims to update old infrastructure, address overcrowding issues, improve safety measures at the school, enhance instructional spaces, and expand career and technical education programs. Planned upgrades include renovations to common areas such as the cafeteria, kitchen, gymnasium, auditorium—spaces dating back to the original 1958 design—as well as additional classroom space and storage plus a multipurpose fieldhouse.

The recently renovated MHS Annex reopened in August as the Myers Education Center and now houses the District 120 Transition Center. Construction on new classrooms is progressing according to schedule; workers poured concrete foundations in September and put up steel framing in October.

District 120 started grading work at Village Green property in mid-September after receiving bids totaling $4.2 million—about $1 million less than expected. Plans for this area include eight tennis courts; fields for softball, baseball, soccer/lacrosse; and a lighted parking lot. Approximately 2,300 cubic yards of soil from ongoing MHS construction is being reused for establishing Village Green’s multipurpose field—resulting in notable cost savings.

Ongoing tasks involve wall framing; structural steel installation; mechanical systems; electrical work; plumbing; followed by roofing and masonry jobs. A stormwater detention system will soon be installed on MHS’s south side before converting that space into temporary staff parking.

In summer 2026 major activities will include demolishing MHS’s D wing; starting work on a new multipurpose fieldhouse; renovating cafeteria facilities; and finishing classroom additions. School staff have begun planning logistics to manage anticipated disruptions during these projects.

To facilitate more summer construction time over the next two years—and minimize disruption—the District 120 School Board has modified upcoming academic calendars: For example next year’s session will run from September 8th through June 10th while following year will start September 7th ending June 9th.

Mundelein Consolidated High School District 120 serves Lake County (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/) and represents Mundelein Consolidated High School within its boundaries (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/). According to data from Illinois State Board of Education (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/), there are about 130 teachers employed by District 120 with an average salary of $91,610 before pension contributions—52.6 percent are women while men make up about 47.4 percent—and none have reported more than ten absences annually (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/). Demographically district enrollment consists of approximately 41 percent White students; around two percent Black students; about forty-five percent Hispanic students; nearly six percent Asian students (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/). In fiscal year 2020 per-student spending was $29,799 amounting to total expenditures exceeding sixty-one million dollars (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/).