Foster School

Construction will begin in August 2024 and we plan to host the public to visit the completed school building by July 2026.

The school will be staffed following D65 hiring policy and contractual agreements with our respective bargaining units. We do expect most teaching positions will be staffed via internal employee transfers via an application and interview process.

During the school day, students will be required to stay on school property and play on the new playground to be constructed adjacent to the new school building. At other times, students are free to play on the public playgrounds both on school property and the existing playground between Fleetwood-Jourdain and Family Focus.

The new parking lot on school grounds will have 83 parking spaces with 58 spaces reserved for school staff and 25 reserved for Fleetwood-Jourdain staff and visitors.

Specialty spaces that meet our educational program requirements and commitments will not become options if the cost of the project exceeds our current budget. We have identified a list of non-program related features that will be considered for design modifications if additional cost increases exceed the contingency funds available in the budget. 

Yes, we plan for the school to be open by July 2026 to welcome in all K-5 grade 5th Ward and Bessie Rhodes students for the 2026-2027 school year.

In the 2026-2027 school year, the school will be open for all K-5 grade students who reside in the 5th Ward and students who were attending Dr. Bessie Rhodes School of Global Studies. Other students who do not reside in the 5th Ward will be required to follow the District’s permissive transfer policy to be considered for enrollment in the new school.

The school is being designed to be 100% accessible with following ADA design standards set for K-5 schools. 

The sensory room will be a safe, quiet space that uses a variety of stimuli to help students develop their senses, relax, and learn at their own pace. The sensory room will include adjustable lighting, flexible seating, objects to provide appropriate sensory stimuli, sound equipment such as an MP3 player with headphones, and other equipment such as therapy balls, interactive wall boards, or multi-sensory equipment like a musical touch wall beanbag chair. 

There will be 8 ft. screened fencing around the site with signage directing foot traffic along Dewey, Simpson, and Ashland.  Also, Cordogan Clark will have a representative on-site at all times during  the construction to address any issues that may arise.

There will be 8 ft. screened fencing around the site.

Yes, District 65 doesn't own the property on the residential or commercial sides of Ashland or Simpson street and has no interest or plans to cut back the sidewalks on those sides of each respective street.

A water truck will be on-site to spray work areas where dust may be an issue. Cordogan Clark will also coordinate street sweepers to clean Ashland, Foster, Dewey and Simpson as needed.

District 65 has a working planning meeting with Family Focus and Fleetwood-Jourdain staff to plan for the three institutions working together to best serve the students, families, and the 5th Ward community.

District 65 is working closely with the City of Evanston to meet traffic and parking requirements that create a safe and functional school and that serves the needs of nearby residents and businesses.  Please feel free to reach out to Kirby Callam at District 65 and/or Council Member Bobby Burns for any questions that you may have.

In addition to the lay away lanes that allow for bus and parent pick-up and drop off without impeding traffic flow, we plan to have Ashland be a temporary one-way street  (south) between 8-9 a.m. and 3-4 p.m.

Our current (7/1/2024) program design includes budgeted allocations to cover the projected cost of certifying the building to meet LEED Silver certification.  Since cost estimates have not been finalized to complete the school, certifying the building for LEED designation is not guaranteed at this point in time.

We will be able to preserve some of the parkway trees on Ashland on the southern end of the street by the new parking lot and one by the main entrance on Ashland close to Simpson St. The City is requiring a curb cut to ease traffic during drop off and pick up so that will require removal of the existing parkway trees along the side of the new school. 

Current plans include funding to provide five EV charging stations in the parking lot design.

The design calls for a balancing of the roof space with all the mechanical equipment that will be roof mounted while maximizing space for solar panels. 

The current plans do not include operable windows. The primary reason for non-operable windows is to maintain the integrity and proper functioning of the high efficiency HVAC system within the new building. 

The HVAC system for the building relies on a fresh air intake system that provides fresh air to all areas within the building at all times. With modern technology around monitoring and controls for building pressure, humidity, and temperature, the new HVAC system will create a comfortable learning environment for all building occupants at all times with filtered dedicated fresh air to every learning space.

If operable windows were included and left open during extreme weather conditions (winter/summer months) the system would require monitoring and automatic shut-offs to protect the equipment from damage due to overexertion. The goal with the specified high-efficiency system is to provide comfortable and clean environments for students and staff while limiting the carbon emission to the environment. 
 

Our heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system will consist of air source VRF heat pumps and air source heat pump DOAS.  VRF stands for Variable Refrigerant Flow and uses refrigerant for heating and air conditioning. VRF systems are ductless and consist of an outdoor unit that's connected to multiple indoor units by refrigerant piping. The outdoor unit can adjust its capacity based on the needs of each zone, which can save energy and improve comfort. 

DOAS or Dedicated Outdoor Air System, is the fresh air intake system that conditions and filters outdoor air before it enters a building. 

There will only be electric water heaters in the building and all-electric appliances in the kitchen. 

The building is designed for a mechanical HVAC system using heat pumps that use electricity instead of natural gas. Also, we are designing for all-electric water heaters and kitchen appliances.