Dist. 59 will make emergency repairs to Grove Jr. High

The car, which traveled through the classroom and into the hallway. Courtesy of District 59

Destruction inside the Grove Junior High classroom that was hit by the car. Courtesy of District 59

Elk Grove Township Elementary District 59 will spend $149,577 on emergency repairs at Grove Junior High, after a car plowed into a classroom at the Elk Grove Village school in late March.

"That's just for the physical repair," District 59 spokeswoman Betsy Boswell said Thursday. "That's not replacing anything inside the classroom."

The district will also have to replace classroom furniture, including a computer, whiteboards and TV monitors, all damaged when a vehicle drove through the classroom and into the hallway of the school at 777 Elk Grove Blvd around midnight on March 27.

A 38-year-old Elgin woman has been charged with aggravated driving under the influence in connection with a hit-and-run crash on March 27 that led to a police chase ending with the car crashing into Grove school. Erin N. Panepucci, of the 11N000 block of Capulet Court, also is charged with aggravated fleeing and eluding. Her court date is Monday, May 6.

Grove students who were affected are using other classrooms for the remainder of the school year.

The school board waived the normal bid process for the project and hired Nicholas & Associates of Mount Prospect as the construction manager because the firm has done various projects within the district, Boswell said.

The repair work will begin this summer once classes dismiss for the school year.

In other business, the school board approved spending more than $109,000 to purchase new locks for all classroom doors throughout the district's 14 schools.

"Currently, you could not lock the door from the inside," Boswell said. "You had to actually open the door to lock it. In case of an emergency, the teacher needs to be able to lock the door without having to open it up."