Rockford school district selects local firm for first phase of Facilities Master Plan, 10 file for school board

Online Staff Report

Rockford Board of Education (BOE) has selected local architectural firm Hagney Architects, LLC, to complete renovations planned in the first phase of the district’s Facilities Master Plan. The selection was announced at the Tuesday, Dec. 18, BOE meeting.

Phase One of the 10-year Facilities Master Plan is expected to cost taxpayers approximately $211 million. The contract with Hagney covers work at nine schools and carries an estimated price tag of $39 million, including Hagney’s fee of 5 percent, or about $2.3 million. More architects are expected to be hired throughout the process.

Three of four Rockford high schools — Auburn, East and Guilford — will get new field houses. Other projects include a computer lab at Froberg Elementary, cafeteria and kitchen additions at Spring Creek Elementary, safety and energy efficiency efforts, and projects at Conklin, Johnson, Lathrop and McIntosh elementary schools.

Crews are expected to begin work on the projects this summer.

10 candidates file for Rockford BOE

Ten candidates have filed to run for a seat on the Rockford BOE in the April election. All seven BOE seats will be up for election.

The 10 candidates are as follow, by subdistrict:

Subdistrict A — Lisa Jackson (incumbent) and Dion Simpson;

Subdistrict B — Tim Rollins (incumbent);

Subdistrict C — Ken Scrivano (incumbent);

Subdistrict D — Jude Makulec (incumbent) and Stephen Noll, a local real estate broker;

Subdistrict E (currently held by Ronnell Moore) — Michael Harner, financial affairs director at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford;

Subdistrict F (currently held by BOE President Harmon Mitchell) — Michael Connor and Rockford Township Clerk and former Rockford Ald. Jeff Holt; and

Subdistrict G (currently held by Laura Powers) — Jaime Escobedo.

A lottery will be held at 10:30 a.m., Thursday, Dec. 27, to determine ballot order for subdistricts D and F.

Posted Dec. 19, 2012