Campus Improvement

Our goal is to provide all students — present and future — with a rich curricular and co-curricular experience. Enrollment data projects that our student body will rise to nearly 4,900 students by 2030. We need to expand our capacity and facilities now to accommodate a bigger Stevenson family in the future. Our current construction project, the second addition to our East Building, is a necessary means to that goal. To learn more about this construction project, please click the tabs below.

Project Purpose

The journey to build out our East Building began in 2016-17 school year. It was in response to a need to create more space for future generations of students — enrollment is projected to jump to 4,900 students by 2030 — in a way that supports students' academic, physical and social-emotional needs. The first phase of this journey, completed in August 2019, focused on construction of spaces for learning. The second, and current, phase of this journey is focused on the creation of spaces for physical and social-emotional wellness.

The second East Building addition will house:

An expanded fitness center to accommodate all students in our physical welfare classes and our after-school and summer health, fitness and wellness programs
Expanded and enhanced spaces for students to meet with the Student Services Teams (counselors, social workers, deans and psychologists) that support their academic and social-emotional needs
Additional classrooms for our growing student population
Additional multipurpose spaces and sport courts to accommodate the more than 2,000 athletes who participate in our growing Athletics program and more than 3,800 students who participate in one of our 150 co-curricular clubs and activities

In addition to its practical purposes for physical wellness, the building’s design approach is intended to boost students’ mental and cognitive well-being by bringing the feeling of nature indoors. Research has shown that design is correlated with decreased stress and anxiety as well as increased cognition, attention and memory. Specific aspects of our design include:

Use of natural materials and texture that more closely mirror those found in nature
Floor to ceiling windows in the field house and a second-floor balcony in the fitness center which will provide landscape access to the outdoors

Meeting Student Need

The 106,300-square-foot project will expand the school’s existing 870,000-square-foot footprint to meet student need. Specifically, in addition to our Physical Welfare courses, this space will be utilized by the more than 2,700 students who participate in athletic and intramural activities. The space also provides increased access to Student Support Teams, including:

25,000-square-feet of turf, 90 exercise machines and 14 full racks for functional fitness, which can be used for athletics as well as PE classes, PREP programs and individual students’ use for physical wellness
90 exercise machines, including treadmills and ellipticals
14 full racks, which can accommodate up to two PE classes of 45 students each during any given period and will allow them to do any traditional free weight exercises
Two additional basketball courts (from four to six total)
60 additional meters of running track (from 140 meters to 200 meters, including an indoor triple jump and long jump pit)
Two rooms for aerobic exercise, including an outdoor balcony area
Nine additional offices spaces (from 15 to 24 offices) for our East Student Services team to further support students’ social emotional learning
One additional athletic training room to provide better access for EMS and on-site physical therapy
Two additional locker rooms
Four multipurpose spaces for classes, meetings, special events, student activities and athletics

Other services

There are several other plans for our new addition:

A full-service snack bar that will offer healthy grab-and-go options
A prominent, one-story, 70-foot-wide gathering stairwell for students to study, collaborate and connect with other students

For a look at the master floor plans, please click here.

Project Funding

As one of the top school districts in the nation, we continue to be dedicated to serving as strong stewards of our financial resources. We are proud to have been recognized by the Illinois State Board of Education with a top tier “Recognition” status for financial excellence for 15 straight years. The district has also been awarded a AAA bond rating by Standard and Poors rating agency.

This project is estimated to cost $50-55 million, which is being funded primarily through our fund balance and the sale of working cash bonds.

At the November Board of Education meeting, the board approved the intent to sell bonds in January to provide final payment of the east building addition. We have fielded a number of questions and want to clarify confusion about the bond issuance and the final phase of the east building addition. Click here to read more about the $17 million bond issuance.

Sustainability

As part of our ongoing sustainability initiative, we will be applying for LEED certification upon completion of this construction project. LEED certification through the U.S. Green Building Council is awarded to building projects that meet the highest standards of sustainability across several categories, including materials and resources, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere and indoor environmental quality.

Engaging in the LEED certification process also allows us the opportunity to identify and control costs while meeting our collective responsibility for sustainability. For example, a focal point of the building will be a three-story living wall that will be fed by a rainwater harvesting system. This living wall also allowed us to reduce expenditures on HVAC equipment and will help us save on future energy costs.

Our current East Building is already LEED platinum certified, and we will be pursuing that same level of certification for this project as well. We are proud to build on our sustainability efforts, which is a reflection of our students' own passion for environmental activism.

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