Purchase of 1947 Bethany Road in Sycamore

Dear Sycamore Community School District 427 Community,

 

On Tuesday, May 28, 2024, the Board of Education approved the purchase of 1947 Bethany Road in Sycamore to relocate the district’s administration offices.

 

Currently, the Administration Building is housed at 245 W. Exchange Street here in Sycamore in the former Central School building constructed in 1926. It was used as a school building until the 1980s, and afterward, it was repurposed for administrative use. Over the decades, this building has valiantly served our community and has stood as a central landmark in our city. This historic building currently houses the Superintendent’s Office, Human Resources, Learning & Teaching, Business Services, Student Services, Technology (including the district data center), Communications (including printing), Buildings & Grounds, and OSCAR. The district has also leased space to the Northwestern Illinois Association (NIA) for several years.

 

In 2019, FGM Architects completed an audit of all district facilities. FGM has reviewed the portion of the audit regarding the Administration Building and updated the cost estimates for the required facility updates. Currently, there are $3.37 million in required Health & Life Safety expenses and an additional $3.30 million in necessary updates to meet current codes, such as ADA compliance.

 

Central School has held a special place in our community for nearly 100 years. It served multiple generations of students, supported learning and teaching, and most recently supported our administrative offices. After much reflection and research, we felt it was time to invest in a new future for our school district.

 

We have identified the former Nicor Gas Call Center at 1947 Bethany Road as the new immediate home for our administration offices. This property will be an ideal relocation for several reasons:

 

The purchase will be financed using Health & Life Safety funds, as certified by our architects and the Regional Superintendent of Schools. This is possible because the cost to purchase the property is less than the required Health & Life Safety improvements for the current Administration Building. We have sufficient funds in the Health & Life Safety budget to complete this purchase without borrowing additional funds or impacting property tax bills.

 

Since my arrival, we have engaged in long-term facility planning and invested in all our schools over the past three years. This purchase represents a continued investment in our district’s future by resolving a long-term facility issue and providing room for expansion and/or consolidation of district operations.

 

We recognize the emotional place that Central School will always hold in our hearts and memories, and we look forward to this exciting new chapter and the benefits it will bring to our district and community for many years to come.

 

Sincerely,

 

Steve Wilder

Superintendent