From the time of groundbreaking, construction will take 18-24 months. We anticipate the groundbreaking taking place in late summer or early fall of 2023.

The new K-8 school will be located on the existing site of Foster Field. The School District has owned this land for a very long time so there is no cost to acquire land. The exact location will largely be determined by the City of Evanston’s decision regarding the future of the Fleetwood Jourdain Community Center.

Each of the conceptual site plans presented by Cordogan Clark has an estimated cost as it relates to the Fleetwood Jourdain Community Center that will range from $32 million to $50 million. Any costs related to Fleetwood are entirely separate from the construction of the new D65 school and will be the responsibility of the City of Evanston.

As mentioned, the District already owns the land. The budget for the new school is $40 million. As an alternative to raising already high property taxes, the District chose to issue Lease Certificates (must be used for new construction) that will be paid back over the next 20 years through the District’s operating fund. Further, the interest rate for the Lease Certificates is fixed at 3.4% and was secured prior to the interest rate increases put in place by the Federal Reserve.

Currently, the District spends over $5 million annually on student transportation costs. This is largely due to students who live in the 5th Ward and need to be bussed across the City to other District 65 schools since there is no neighborhood school nearby. When the new school is built, these students will no longer need bus services. This savings will be used to pay back the Lease Certificates, which equates to an annual payment of $3.2 million.

There are no operational savings without the building of a new school within the 5th Ward and in proximity to students’ homes. Under our current Student Assignment Plan, the District would still be required to pay for the transportation of students to their current schools.

Further and most importantly, all students deserve a neighborhood school with programming and services nearby their home. With the closing of the predominantly Black Foster School in 1967, the only school in Evanston’s Fifth Ward was closed. Students were bussed to other predominantly white schools across Evanston in an effort to integrate. Not only was this inequitable and a burden to the Black community, it has had a longstanding and harmful impact on students.

We recognize the significance of naming the new school and the importance of ensuring it is a community-driven decision. The building could be named after a person or something more general. No decisions have been made.

We are currently in Phase II of our Student Assignment Planning process which focuses on student programming as well as locations. Our goal remains to provide programming aligned to student need in proximity to their home. No decisions have been made in regard to programming at the new school or at any current District 65 school. This is especially true as it relates to the Two-Way Immersion program. 

The community is encouraged to join the conversation during one of the remaining dates of our Discovery Tour and to consider applying to serve on our community-based committee charged with making a recommendation to our School Board in March 2023 (applications forthcoming).

The District and City are working to elevate Black voices in coordination with Northwestern University’s African American Studies Department. Through the Amplifying Black Voices grant, we are working to better understand Black families’ desires and experiences with education across the community.

In addition, meetings are being held within the 5th Ward community as well as a door-to-door grassroots effort to engage more individuals in this important conversation. These efforts are also in collaboration with the City of Evanston.

While the configuration and specific location of where the school will sit on the 5th Ward Campus site may change depending on the City decision regarding Fleetwood, other aspects will not change. 

The school will still be approximately 125,000-135,000 square feet and can comfortably accommodate up to 800-900 students. The school will likely be either three or four stories tall. All concepts presented are in-line with the $40 million construction budget.

Family Focus is a valued partner and has been in collaboration with both District 65 and the City of Evanston. None of the conceptual site plans include any changes to the physical Family Focus building (located within the historic Foster School). We are excited that Family Focus has received $3 million in ARPA funding for building improvements and look forward to continued partnership in providing community services.