Renderings For New 5th Ward School Revealed By District 65 Architects

EVANSTON, IL — Architects and school officials in Evanston-Skokie School District 65 unveiled new renderings of plans for the new neighborhood school in the city's 5th Ward ahead anticipated groundbreaking this summer.

At an open house event on Tuesday, District 65 administrators and representatives of the architectural firm Cordogan, Clark & Associates showed off the design for the 600-student school for students in kindergarten through 5th grade.

Located at Foster Park, the two-story structure is set to be shaped in an "L" configuration, with a classroom wing along Simpson Street and a community wing along Ashland Avenue. Inside, it will include a gathering space in a central atrium, a gym, library and cafeteria with a stage.

Plans call for sustainable building practices and certification as a LEED Silver building, with recycled materials, energy-efficient lighting and a roof that can accommodate the addition of solar panels in the future.

The project's design has undergone several revisions since board members first approved it in March 2022. After cost estimates during the design stage showed it running significantly overbudget, district officials reduced the building's size from three to two stories and scrapped plans to include 6th through 8th grade students.

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Evanston's 5th Ward has been without a neighborhood school since the closure of Foster School in 1967 as part of the district's desegregation efforts.

District officials first floated the idea of a school in the Family Focus building, 2010 Dewey Ave., back in 2002.

In 2012, a bond referendum to pay for a new 5th Ward school was voted down, 55 percent to 45 percent.

Since the new school has been funded through lease certificates issued by the district, there was no need for a referendum question.

To pay off the $40 million borrowed for the project, the district planned to set aside $3.2 million a year for the next 18 years.

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The District 65 board is also considering suggestions for the new school's name and mascot.

Four potential school names have been suggested by the Foster senior club, many of whom attended the former school.

They include: 5th Ward School, Foster School, 5th Ward Foster School and New Foster School.

Mascot names were reviewed and voted upon by afterschool students in JoAnn Avery's class at Family Focus, which will recommend a mascot to school administrators, according to a district spokesperson.

Six possible mascots emerged as the top vote-getters: Fox, Phoenix, Flamingo, Flying Squirrel, Fusion and Flyers.

Groundbreaking is expected in mid-July, and district officials have targeted fall 2026 for completion of construction.

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Earlier: New Name, Mascot Needed For 5th Ward School Ahead Of Groundbreaking