Site for a school? U-46 looking at former Sherman Hospital campus

Elgin Area School District U-46 officials are considering the purchase of the former Sherman Hospital property.

School board members this week approved a nonbinding letter of intent and said they are studying the 14-acre property at 901 Center St. in Elgin to determine if it suits the district's needs. Though the property has been inspected, the letter of intent allows for a deeper review before the district decides to purchase.

"It would be appropriate for a future school use supporting either an elementary or middle school or a pre-(kindergarten) center if desired by the board of education," Ann Williams, the district's deputy superintendent of operations, told board members.

In April, voters approved a U-46 request to borrow $179 million to help replace five elementary schools, two of which date back to the 1800s.

Sue Kerr, U-46 school board president, noted the property is near McKinley Elementary School, one of the two schools that date back to the 1800s. The property also is near two middle schools that Kerr said are "very limited on land."

The district is in the process of switching to full middle schools. Currently, sixth-grade students are at the elementary schools, while seventh- and eighth-grade students are in the middle schools. The district plans to eventually move all sixth-grade students to the middle schools.

Though the board discussed the property in closed session before voting publicly Monday, board member Dawn Martin abstained from voting on the letter of intent, indicating not enough detail was provided.

"While I appreciate the location of the property, I struggle with putting time and resources with something so ill-defined," Martin said in explaining her decision to abstain.

Board member Melissa Owens also expressed concern about the process but ultimately voted yes on the letter of intent.

"This doesn't bind the board to anything at this point, and I do believe it's in our best interest to go through the feasibility and do our due diligence on the property," Owens said. "However, I have concerns about the direction that we have at this point with this property ... but it's worth it to the feasibility and due diligence to see if the property is usable."

In a statement, U-46 said the property was identified because of the acreage available for a school. The statement also noted the property is in the center of the district and in a neighborhood with several students.

The district is expected to share an update about the property in June.