District 117 to discuss contract for South School renovations

By Gary Scott on October 18, 2017 at 7:23am

Renovations at South Jacksonville Elementary School will be the main topic of discussion at tonight’s District 117 board meeting.

The board will actually hold two meetings tonight, with the Committee of the Whole meeting to start at 6, followed by the regular meeting at 7.

The Committee of the Whole meeting has a rare closed meeting scheduled. In terms of the South Elementary School renovation project, the board is likely to discuss a contract with Graham & Hyde Architects, Inc. out of Springfield, who would serve as the district’s architects for the project. While at last month’s meeting, board members the construction model and design of the project, they have yet to finalize a contract to initiate the process.

Another topic of discussion for the board tonight deals with the intersection of Morton Avenue and South Main Street and whether or not it should be labeled a hazardous intersection. Though the board will discuss that matter this evening, the Illinois State Board of Education would determine whether or not it would be considered hazardous. If it is deemed hazardous, the district could begin providing bus transportation to students in that area, despite them living less than a mile-and-a-half away.

Both of tonight’s meetings will take place in the media center at Jacksonville High School.