The DeKalb Community Unit School District 428 Board of Education passed the recommended action put forth by District administration to move forward with the acquisition of the NIU School of Nursing Building, located at 1240 Normal Road, DeKalb at the March 7, 2023 board meeting. The District will proceed with a lease-to-purchase agreement for $1.86 million and begin initial design plans for an elementary school expansion option to renovate and expand the existing building to create a three-section elementary school with an anticipated opening date for the 2025-2026 school year.
“The opportunity to consider acquiring the nursing building from NIU came at a pivotal time for the District and allowed us increased flexibility to be more proactive and responsive to the needs of families in an area where we knew there were barriers to learning,” said Samantha McDavid, board of education president.
The decision comes after meetings with the Finance Facilities Advisory Committee (FFAC) and the greater community. An in-depth analysis of multiple options, including the construction of a new building on vacant land, was reviewed with a focus on what options would effectively address class size concerns at the elementary level and provide for a neighborhood school in an identified area of need. Updates to Huntley Middle School and the expansion of the Early Learning Childhood Center were also included in financial forecasts that will be completed as a second-phase project.
“The District and our community partners have dedicated significant time and attention to this effort to present a fiscally responsible and timely solution that, first and foremost, focuses on serving the needs of our children and families,” said Cindy Carpenter, co-director of business and finance for the District. “The fact that we can incorporate the project costs within the district’s budget without requesting additional dollars from our taxpayers was also critically important,” said Carpenter. Projected costs will total approximately $31.8 million with a completion date and school opening of August 2025.
“This is a tremendous outcome for our students and families who live in DeKalb’s north corridor and for our community as a whole,” stated Superintendent Minerva Garcia-Sanchez, Ed.D. “I am grateful for the extensive and thoughtful deliberations the FFAC and Board put forth as they evaluated what would best serve our students. More than 32 percent of the district’s elementary students live in this area, yet they must be bused to schools throughout the district.” Dr. Garcia-Sanchez added, “Families here have been asking for decades to be heard about their desire to have a neighborhood school that helps remove barriers to learning, increases the ability of families to be more present in their children’s school and activities, and paves the way for a more successful educational experience overall. I am honored, on behalf of District 428, to begin work on what promises to be a stellar example of a community school where teaching and learning set the stage for a lifetime of learning and success.”
The impact on all elementary schools with the addition of the new three-section building will be a reduction in classroom sizes from 28 to 25 students. This is a priority supported by the Board of Education from the Class Size Committee recommendation in May 2021 to “provide sufficient staff to lower the threshold from 28 to 25 students for grades K-5 and 35 to 30 students for Grades 6-12 when facilities and budgets allow.” Existing school boundaries will be adjusted prior to the opening of the new school based on the current demographic and population data at that time.
Presentation and supporting documents related to this decision are available on the DeKalb CUSD 428 Board of Education website page.
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