Planning Beyond the Next Project
For many school districts, facility improvements happen one project at a time—often driven by aging equipment, emergency repairs, or immediate needs. Lake Park High School District 108 took a different approach.
District leaders recognized that maintaining exceptional learning environments required more than isolated upgrades. They needed a long-term strategy that would modernize critical infrastructure, improve operational efficiency, reduce utility costs, and support students and staff for decades to come. Through a multi-phase partnership with Performance Services, Lake Park developed and executed a comprehensive facility improvement plan spanning both its East and West Campuses. Over nine phases, the district systematically addressed aging mechanical systems, enhanced sustainability initiatives, modernized lighting and controls, and created a roadmap for continuous improvement—all while generating guaranteed energy and operational savings that helped fund future investments.
Building a Foundation for Comfort and Reliability
The partnership began in 2016 with critical HVAC improvements across both campuses. At the East Campus, outdated rooftop equipment, exhaust fans, classroom unit ventilators, and gym lighting were replaced. At the West Campus, the district upgraded cooling tower infrastructure and modernized gym lighting. These improvements established a foundation for greater comfort, reliability, and energy performance while generating more than $247,000 in guaranteed annual savings.
Rather than waiting for future equipment failures, Lake Park continued investing strategically through successive phases, replacing aging HVAC systems, upgrading boiler plants, renovating domestic water systems, modernizing ventilation equipment, and improving campus-wide building performance.
Over the next decade, the district completed:
- Multiple rooftop unit replacements
- Air handling unit modernizations
- Boiler plant renovations
- Cooling system upgrades
- Domestic water system improvements
- Emergency power upgrades
- Exhaust fan replacements
- Kitchen and refrigeration system improvements
Each project built upon previous investments, extending equipment life, improving reliability, and creating more consistent learning environments for students and staff.
Leading the Way in Renewable Energy
One of the district’s most visible investments came in 2017 with the installation of 1.86 MW roof-mounted solar arrays between both campuses. At the time, the project was among the largest school-based solar installations in Illinois and demonstrated Lake Park’s commitment to sustainability and long-term fiscal stewardship. The solar initiative generated substantial financial benefits, including:
- Reducing electricity use by over 2.2 million kWh
- Generating revenue by selling excess solar renewable energy credits (SRECs), projected to exceed $5 million over 25 years
- $463,054 in ComEd incentives
- More than $351,000 in annual guaranteed savings
Modernizing Building Controls Without Replacing Everything
One of the most impactful initiatives in the district’s long-term facility strategy was completed during Phase 9: the modernization of Lake Park’s building automation system.
The district had been operating a proprietary Siemens front-end platform that had become increasingly limited in terms of reporting, flexibility, and long-term support options. Rather than recommending a complete controls replacement, Performance Services developed a more strategic solution. The district retained its existing Siemens field controllers while migrating the legacy front-end to a Tridium open-protocol building automation platform. This approach preserved previous investments while delivering modern functionality and future flexibility. The new platform provides centralized access to:
- Scheduling and system management
- Alarm monitoring
- Trending and reporting
- Building graphics and visualization
- Operational analytics
The migration allowed Lake Park to:
- Retain existing Siemens controllers
- Avoid significant capital replacement costs
- Improve system visibility and reporting
- Eliminate dependence on a proprietary front-end
- Create a scalable platform for future growth
- Expand operational flexibility across district facilities
The Tridium integration also enabled deployment of the Performance Services Client Portal, providing district staff with direct access to service resources, operational data, and support tools.
A Partnership That Extends Beyond Construction
The success of Lake Park’s facility improvement program has been driven by more than equipment upgrades. Throughout the partnership, Performance Services has provided ongoing building automation expertise, proactive support services, staff training, remote diagnostics, system monitoring, and operational guidance designed to maximize the value of every facility investment. This collaborative approach helps district staff identify opportunities for continued optimization while ensuring systems operate efficiently and reliably year after year.
