Add as a preferred source on Google

Illinois Elementary School Breaks Ground on $6.7M Expansion

  • By Matt Jones
  • 03/08/23

Local news reports that Sherrard Elementary School in Sherrard, Ill., recently broke ground on a $6.7-million expansion project. The campus’ new building measures in at 14,750 square feet and will contain two new classrooms, conference rooms, and a new gymnasium. The expansion is the district’s first major construction project in more than 20 years, according to WQAD.

“I think it’ll help not only with scholastic events here, but it will also help with the community,” said district superintendent Carl Johnson. “We have a great partnership with the community in the village, and this will be another space … for a variety of groups that want to come in and use it.”

The project is being funded through federal money and lower bond rats, local news reports. “We took advantage of the money and the financing that we had, so the overall tax rate in the district remained unchanged because of the refinancing of the old bonds,” said Johnson.

Development on the project started in 2020, when school principal Casey Wyant first started in his current role. “It seemed like a pipe dream in the distant future—but here we are, scooping the first shovels of dirt, imagining the renderings of the building just behind us, and dreaming,” said Wyant.

Johnson also commented that the size of the new gymnasium—88 feet by 84 feet—will allow for district-wide meetings of elementary school students, instead of having to convene at the nearby high school.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Delta State University Completes Renovations to School of Nursing Facilities

    Delta State University recently completed a major expansion and renovation project for the Robert E. Smith School of Nursing facilities on its campus in Cleveland, Miss., according to a news release. The project includes about 14,000 square feet of new construction and more than 21,000 square feet of renovation work to the existing space.

  • Los Angeles City College Breaks Ground on New Administration, Workforce Building

    Los Angeles City College (LACC) in Los Angeles, Calif., recently broke ground on a new $72-million administrative facility, according to a news release. The Cesar Chavez Administration and Workforce Building will stand four stories, cover 67,230 square feet, and play home to a wide variety of the school’s educational and administrative services.

  • Tennessee State University Gains Approval for New Engineering Facility

    Tennessee State University in Nashville, Tenn., recently announced that it has received approval from the Tennessee State Building Commission to build a new engineering building on campus, according to a university news release. The 70,000-square-foot, $50-million facility will play home to the university’s engineering programs and the Applied & Industrial Technology program.

  • Elevating Campus Maintenance: How Power Wash Drones are Transforming Educational Facilities

    As today’s campuses grow larger and more architecturally complex, keeping exteriors clean, safe, and inviting has never been tougher. Facilities leaders are under constant pressure to stretch budgets, meet safety standards, and support sustainability goals—all while tackling the stubborn challenge of exterior cleaning.

Digital Edition