Rural school district looking to improve its facilities

FAIRBURY, Ill. (WMBD) — Changes could soon be coming to the Prairie Central School District.

On the ballot for the Nov. 5 election is a referendum that, if passed, would issue $45 million in bonds to help the district not only enhance its other school buildings but also construct a brand-new pre-K through 4th grade building in Fairbury.

It would combine the three lower elementary schools in the district into one building in Fairbury, which Superintendent Paula Crane believes would help centralize a school district that spans 386 square miles.

“It’s really the geographical center of the district, so that means that our Chenoa kids and our Chatsworth kids would travel about the same distance to get to the building,” she said.

Crane said the district initially wanted to build a gymnasium at the elementary school in Fairbury, which would have been a $6 million project.

Instead of pursuing that, she said the board took a step back and reassessed the rest of the district. In doing so, they felt that the district was in a position to look toward the future.

The three lower elementary schools in Fairbury, Chenoa, and Chatsworth would be torn down, and the Upper elementary and Junior High schools in Forrest, along with the high school in Fairbury, would be renovated.

Those renovations would include the addition of air conditioning, window replacement, plumbing systems, and other work.

The project would cost $70 million in total, with the remaining $25 million coming through fund balances and other district finances.

Crane noted that this will be a ‘no tax increase’ referendum, which simply means that the tax rate will not go up in the district, which covers parts of Livingston, McLean, and Ford counties.

She also hopes that this will help attract more teachers to the district. She understands the challenges that come with a rural area but is optimistic that more modern amenities would increase morale in the district.

“We’re kind of in the middle of nowhere or the middle of everywhere, however, you want to say it. So, attracting teachers is difficult, and it’ll be easier to attract good, quality teachers if we have quality buildings and just a community pride that we can fall back on,” she said.

You can find more information about the referendum here .

If passed, the design and implementation will be worked out immediately after the vote. Crane hopes for the new school building to be completed by the fall of 2027.

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