theVoice rockfordchamber.com
November 2016
Final phase of 10-year facilities plan New schools to revitalize neighborhoods In January, we expect to bid the construction of two new elementary schools in the district. Each will use innovative design. Each will grow out of community partnerships to prepare our young people for success and move our neighborhoods and our region forward. The new schools also mark the final phase of our 10-year, $250-million facilities plan in the Rockford Public Schools. These improvements are not only good for our 28,700 students. They are bringing economic development to the community. Each of the new schools will be open for the start of the 2018-19 school year. Each will have similar designs and serve 650 students. Each will have four strands (four first-grade classrooms, four second-grade classrooms, etc.) A one-story design utilizes open spaces for collaborative learning at each grade level. The schools will be safe and secure and fully accessible for students with disabilities. To allow the buildings to be used for community events when students are not present, a large, all-glass, centralized common area will have moveable walls to accommodate different-sized groups. The community element in these buildings goes beyond the blueprint. We continue to partner with community organizations so the schools will be more-than-ideal learning environments. They will be tools in growth and planned development: In Cherry Valley, a $20.6 million school will be between Swanson Parkway and Perryville Road, south of Harrison Avenue. It will consolidate students who attend the current Cherry Valley, Thompson and White Swan elementary schools. District leaders worked with Cherry Valley village leaders to select the site, which is on land owned by the Rockford Park District. A land swap with the park district involving closed elementary sites would allow RPS 205 to continue an important partnership. What’s more, a brand new school to replace White Swan, Thompson and Cherry Valley schools (average age 65 years) provides a strong educational option for families in Cherry Valley and the southeast side of Rockford. Our other new school will be just south of the existing Kishwaukee School and will serve students who attend Kishwaukee and Nelson elementary schools. At an estimated cost of $21.5 million, this school will be part of a Purpose Built Community — a nationally acclaimed model with a goal to revitalize neighborhoods. Already, this innovative partnership has yielded a pledge of $600,000
each from the City of Rockford and Winnebago County and $200,000 from private sources. By working closely with these entities and Purpose Built, we are confident the school’s 14-acre campus can anchor growth just south of downtown Rockford. And that growth, in turn, could spur growth in adjoining neighborhoods – including the midtown home of the RPS 205 Administration Building on Seventh Street.
Financing the Schools So far, we have paid out about 60 percent – or $150 million -- of our planned spending on facilities work. We have done it on time and under budget. After approving the facilities plan in the summer of 2012 and turning the first dirt in the spring of 2013, we expect to complete the work by 2020 — two years ahead of schedule. The $250 million investment will generate at least $100 million more in additional economic output for the region, according to research by the Rockford Metropolitan Agency for Planning. That figure includes revenue from construction suppliers and other companies, as well as increased spending by workers for these companies. The $250 million investment will generate millions more in economic activity through wages, supplier contracts and increased retail and commercial activity in the region. Meanwhile, our School Board has done as it’s promised: It has practiced smart fiscal stewardship, approving a levy last month that held the line on tax collections for the fifth consecutive year. The levy for the tax year 2016 is an estimated $7.79 per $100 of equalized assessed valuation, a reduction of 14 cents from the year before. The board levied well below its allowable rate, not taking tax revenue tied to the Consumer Price Index inflation rate, not taking new property credits and not taking Tax Increment Financing recovery credits. We know the burden on taxpayers, and we will not pile on. At the same time, we will sustain the investment in improving our learning environment and the quality of our facilities. When the new schools are done, we invite you to come see. Save a date in fall 2018. Dr. Ehren Jarrett is superintendent of Rockford Public Schools. The views expressed are those of Dr. Jarrett’s and do not necessarily represent those of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.
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