Governor Quinn Opens New Addition at Spring Valley Middle School

SPRING VALLEY - Governor Pat Quinn today was joined by state and local officials to open a new middle school addition at the John F. Kennedy Elementary School in Spring Valley. The $16 million addition was funded primarily by Governor Quinn's Illinois Jobs Now! capital construction program, and is part of the Governor's agenda to give every child the opportunity for a high quality education.

"Every child in Illinois deserves high-quality schools where they can learn and grow," Governor Quinn said. "This project will create jobs for the Spring Valley community and expand educational opportunities for its students."

The $16 million John F. Kennedy School addition includes $12 million from the Illinois Jobs Now! program and $4 million from the school district. The 30 classroom, one-story middle school addition will accommodate 658 students in fifth through eighth grades.

Spring Valley was among numerous school districts statewide that have received a total of $1.5 billion in Illinois Jobs Now! funding to construct new buildings or expand existing ones in order to improve educational opportunities in many communities. The school construction program is coordinated by the Illinois Capital Development Board and the Illinois State Board of Education.

"We are confident the new Kennedy School will positively impact our students and community for many years to come," Spring Valley CCSD 99 Superintendent Jim Hermes said. "The district has an obligation to be prudent with our resources, while also attaining the high standard that is expected of Spring Valley Elementary. We are excited about the new addition, but we know our greatest accomplishment must be to continue educating students with the passion and dedication that we have always exhibited."

Allied Design, Inc. designed and Williams Brothers Construction built the state-of-the art, energy efficient school building. Pre-cast walls, double pane windows, LED lighting, geo-thermal heating and cooling, skylights and LVT tile are just a few of the energy efficient and cost-saving measures taken by the district.

"I would like to thank Governor Quinn for providing funding for the John F. Kennedy School," State Representative Frank Mautino (D-Spring Valley) said. "The John F. Kennedy School will provide a brighter future and tremendous opportunities for the children of Spring Valley for generations to come."

The Spring Valley school project is part of Governor Quinn's $31 billion Illinois Jobs Now! program, which will support more than 439,000 jobs over six years. Illinois Jobs Now! is the largest construction program in Illinois history, and is one of the largest construction programs in the nation.