UPDATED 7:12 p.m.
Springfield, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – Springfield Public Schools will move forward with developing plans to build a new elementary school on unused land at the University of Illinois Springfield.
This, after land that was inside the Ball Chatham School District was detached and moved to District 186, and after an agreement was reached with UIS.
“The reality…neither parcel (of land) is taxable. (Ball-Chatham doesn’t) receive tax money for that 29 acres because it’s on the UIS campus. The land we’re exchanging with them isn’t taxable because there’s a school on it. It was a win-win situation for both parties,” said Terrance Jordan, who took over as Superintendent July 1.
Jordan tells the WTAX Morning Newswatch three elementary schools with declining enrollment will be moved into the new school: Southern View, Laketown, and Hazel Dell.
“We did a study before we came to the realization that it would be best to consolidate those schools, and build a new school,” said Jordan. “The area was not equipped to handle a new school. Renovations would cost a substantial amount of money.”
Building one new school while closing three was best, Jordan said. Sales tax money will pay for the construction of a new school.
Jordan says based on the agreement, there’s two years for a new school to be built.
Springfield, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – Springfield Public Schools could be closer to using land on the University of Illinois Springfield campus to build a new school.
The District 186 board Monday night voted to approve a “collaboration agreement” with the university to eventually build a new elementary school on unused UIS land. It’s like a lease, except no cost is expected, and the university doesn’t necessarily want to sell or lease the land.
However, at least part of that land — roughly 29 acres of it — is in the Ball Chatham School District. That district’s school board has already approved detaching that land from their district, so that it can be a part of District 186. The District-186 board approved that move, too.
No word on any timetable or cost.
The District 186 Board Monday night also learned the district has started posting available positions within the district again, as of the start of the fiscal year — positions that were initially unknowns for the coming school year.
This story will be updated.
