The Unit 5 school board on Monday approved contracts with two architectural firms for key facets of the district's enrollment adjustment plan.
Unit 5 chose Design Mavens and the Farnsworth Group to develop designs and determine the scope of additions at Parkside Junior High and Towanda Elementary Schools, respectively. Each project is projected to cost between $4 million and $4.5 million, and both are expected to be completed by the start of the 2028-29 school year.
The firms submitted information as part of the Request for Qualification [RFQ] process, but will now collaborate with the school district to get more specific about design elements.
The architects will host listening sessions with staff and families to get more feedback and input as the process continues. Superintendent Kristen Weikle said the projects will be put out to bid for building contractors, probably this winter.
“It's really exciting because ultimately our students are going to be the winners in having these newly designed additions at each of their schools,” said Weikle.
The Towanda Elementary School project involves an addition that eliminates the use of portable classrooms that are meant to be a short-term solution when a school is short on classroom space. Portions of the school, located in the Village of Towanda northeast of Bloomington-Normal, date back to 1932.
“This will allow us to have all of our students under one roof at each of their school sites, which we're very much looking forward to,” said Weikle.
The Parkside Junior High addition will provide additional permanent special education classroom space.
By the scheduled completion of construction, Parkside also will accept Pepper Ridge Elementary School students to relieve enrollment pressures at Evans Junior High School.
Projects associated with the enrollment study changes will be financed by selling bonds. Because revenue from the County Facilities Sales Tax can be used for that purpose, no property tax increases will come from construction or renovations.
RFQ solicitations also were made for the new early learning center to replace the programs at Brigham and Sugar Creek schools, and for the new or renovated facility for the 18-22 year old program currently at Eugene Field in Normal. Both are slated to finish a year after the Towanda and Parkside projects, with details of both coming at a future board meeting.
