Published July 7, 2026 at 2:45 PM CDT

Springfield District 186 is inching closer to building a new elementary school on property owned by UIS.

The school board this week voted 6-0 to approve an agreement that paves the way for construction. The university would maintain control of the land on the north side of the campus through a no cost lease arrangement.

The 29-acre parcel, which is currently farmland near Hazel Dell Elementary School, has been part of the Ball-Chatham district. But that board voted June 24 to a land swap allowing Springfield public schools to build there. Ball-Chatham would not lose revenue since the parcel is tax-exempt.

The decision follows years of negotiations.

The new state-of-the-art school would consolidate three existing facilities into one. Those include Hazel Dell Elementary, Laketown Elementary and Southern View Elementary. District 186 has a Facilities Master Plan that is designed to replace aging infrastructure and certain buildings.

District officials have indicated sharing property with the university will allow for UIS students planning for careers in education to get hands-on experience, such as student teaching, in close proximity to their classes.

There is no schedule for construction or cost estimate. District officials say that will be determined in the planning phase, which is next.