Shawnee School District 84 receives state funding for classroom project

A long-awaited classroom construction plan appears to be ready to move forward in Shawnee School District 84.

On Thursday, Feb. 16, Gov. Quinn announced that Illinois school districts statewide will receive a total of more than $623 million from the Illinois Jobs Now! program to construct new buildings or expand, repair and update existing ones.

The capital funding will provide needed classroom space, while supporting an estimated 4,000 construction jobs throughout the state.

Shawnee Community Unit School District 84 is slated to receive $2.04 million for the construction of a classroom addition in Wolf Lake.

District 84 has three schools in three counties: Shawnee Junior/Senior High School in Wolf Lake, Shawnee Elementary North school in Grand Tower and Shawnee Elementary South school in Alexander County.

Shelly Clover-Hill, the superintendent of District 84, said the state grant will be matched with $1.5 million in local money.

The funds will be used to build an eight-classroom elementary addition at the junior/senior high school in Wolf Lake.

Clover-Hill said the district has been waiting for 10 years to proceed with the much-anticipated project.

The district will be issuing working cash bonds in conjunction with the project. The District 84 Board of Education approved a resolution last summer to issue the bonds.

Clover-Hill said it is hoped that construction of the elementary classroom addition will help to save the district money.

The district's elementary schools in Grand Tower and McClure are 26 miles apart. The classroom addition is expected to save on the district's transportation costs. The district spends about $500,000 a year on transportation.

The new facility will be built at the south end of the junior/senior high school.

Clover-Hill said it is hoped that work on the project can begin soon.

"We're going to start moving forward pretty quickly," she said.

She said that the 2013-2014 school year would likely be the earliest students could be attending classes in the new building.

The future of the school buildings in Grand Tower and McClure will be discussed by District 84 officials.

Quality School Facilities Needed

“In order for our students to compete for the jobs of tomorrow, we must ensure they are receiving a quality education in quality school facilities,” Gov. Quinn said Friday when the state school project funds were announced.

“This capital funding will help school districts across the state update their facilities and make critical repairs to improve the educational experience for our students.”

Thirty-one districts statewide were approved for the state funding this fiscal year after their projects were certified by the Illinois State Board of Education, ISBE, and the Illinois Capital Development Board, CDB.

The funding will allow districts to build new schools, add new classrooms, and make renovations to aging buildings.

Other improvements will include renovations to existing classrooms, upgrades to aging facilities and additional technology updates.

The capital funding, combined with local dollars, will allow school districts to complete projects totaling more than $1.2 billion.

Quinn also announced  that the state is making available $50 million in School Maintenance Grant Program grants.

The dollar-for-dollar state matching grant program provides up to $50,000 in matching funds for the maintenance or upkeep of buildings or structures for educational purposes.

The grant applications for districts will be available soon.