June 27, 2022 – On April 9, 2022, District #61 was granted a waiver by the Illinois General Assembly giving DPS the authority to build a new school using federal pandemic relief funds. DPS is in discussions about building a new facility to replace District #61’s oldest school buildings, Dennis Lab School’s dual campus facilities.
DPS has considered several locations for a new school facility. In partnership with the Decatur Park District, District #61 is currently considering a portion of the Lincoln Park area. However, no final decision has been made.
State statute currently allows school districts the authority to build without a referendum if 50 percent or more of the project’s funding comes from sales tax. DPS and another district petitioned the legislature to apply this same concept to using federal funds and it was approved. These funds include Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER, or more commonly known as CARES) grant funds, of which District #61 has received $76,304,698.
The use of federal funds to pay for a new school building will not impact the local tax levy. Seeking this authority streamlined the process for building the new DPS facility and will assist the District in meeting the stringent timeline of grant funding.
