The proposed new volleyball court at Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley Middle School is shown in design documents distributed to the school board. Capitol News Illinois photo by Andrew Adams
GIBSON CITY — Gibson City-Melvin Sibley school district outdoor recreational spaces could be getting millions of dollars in upgrades.
The GCMS school board on Wednesday, Dec. 18, reviewed design concepts for an estimated $3.1 million in projects planned for summer 2026, including the replacement of the high school’s track and the elementary school’s playground, the construction of a new playground for preschoolers at the elementary school, and the re-purposing and expansion of the middle school’s recreation area to include a gaga ball pit, two pickleball courts, a volleyball court and a concrete walking path.
The improvements are expected to be fully funded using a combination of community donations and cash on hand, with no property tax increase needed, Superintendent Jeremy Darnell said. In a worst-case scenario, the district might consider issuing tax anticipation warrants to bring in more funds — but without a tax increase, Darnell said.
“We are due to get back just over a million dollars this year in rebates from our (rooftop) solar (energy) project, and our current fund balance for the (operations and maintenance) account is at $2.3 million,” Darnell said. “We’re obviously going to spend some money out of that account this year, but we should have close to $3 million in the O&M account at the end of this year. And if we get another half a million dollars by the summer of 2026, our goal and hope is to pay for this through cash.”
The community at large — which would have access to the proposed new outdoor recreation facilities whenever schools are not in session — has already stepped up to support the cause. Gibson City’s First Presbyterian Church, for example, recently donated $10,000 toward the playground improvements. A recent “Live Like Ava” fundraiser generated $20,000 in donations toward the new playgrounds, as well.
Estimated costs for the projects range include $1.4 million for the track’s replacement — which includes the replacement of the blacktop and black-colored chainlink fence surrounding the track — along with $1.7 million for the play space upgrades, including the new age-appropriate, Americans With Disabilities Act-complaint playgrounds at the elementary school and the middle school’s re-purposed and expanded outdoor space.
Instead of seeking bids, Darnell said he expects the school district to enlist Byrne & Jones Construction, based out of Bridgeton, Mo., as a performance contractor to do the work, noting the firm’s expertise in construction of playgrounds and outdoor recreational spaces, in particular.
“Byrne & Jones is, without question, the leader in Illinois for doing playground and athletic facilities,” Darnell said. “They’ve done almost everybody around us. In fact, our city just did a price quote for pickleball courts with the exact same company.”
The high school’s track is in need of replacement as a result of its deterioration. In addition, the fencing around the track and the asphalt in that same area will be replaced, pushing up the project’s cost.
“The reason (the project) is so expensive is because, in some places, there’s about a one-foot gap between the fence that surrounds the track and the blacktop because of the freeze-and-thaw (cycles) over the last 30 years,” Darnell said. “So we’re going to have to actually dig that down, pull the fence up, do a replacement of the blacktop. … So we’re going to end up with new blacktop, fencing and track surface all at the same time. … That’s why it’s going from a $750,000 project to a $1.4 (million project) — because we have to basically fix 30 years of freezing and thawing and disruption in the surface to make it more accessible.”
Also more expensive than some might expect are the replacement of the primary playground in the existing L-shaped play area at the elementary school, which is used by students in kindergarten through fifth grade, and the construction of a new playground for students in pre-kindergarten on the northeast corner of the school’s campus. One of the main reasons for the higher cost is the inclusion of ground surfacing and playground equipment compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
“We’re going to make them all ADA compliant, which means you have to use proper ground surfacing, and the ground surfacing is ridiculously expensive,” Darnell said. “It’s actually going to be synthetic turf, is what we’re leaning toward. It’s actually got a little bit more give and better drainage. The cost difference between synthetic turf and that pored rubber surfacing is almost the same, so we’re leaning toward synthetic turf. But those are some of the things that we’re going to refine over the course of the next 18 months, because we want to make sure that it’s going to have both the best longevity and the best utilization.”
Both proposed playgrounds would feature a variety of accessible, age-appropriate play stations. Darnell said certain pieces of the elementary school’s existing playground have “been there for decades” and in need of an upgrade. Among other features, the new main playground would feature 82 “independent stations for kids to play at,” Darnell noted.
“A lot of the equipment is going to be upgraded to more physically appropriate equipment and for ADA accessibility,” Darnell said. “There’s actually a little bit of an upcharage because every piece of equipment we’re purchasing is going to have ADA accessibility. That means that if a kid is in a wheelchair, they’re going to be able to roll up and get onto a slide that’s appropriate for their use.”
The proposed new preschool playground would be utilized by the elementary school’s pre-kindergarten students, ages 3-5. Darnell said it would allow the district to provide an ideal space for them to develop their motor skills through play. As part of its eligibility for a Preschool For All grant, the school must devote “certain amounts of time” each day for that purpose, but it currently lacks proper space, Darnell noted.
“We don’t have a good space to do that,” Darnell said. “So in order to meet the standards of the grant, we really need a space that has both space and equipment and safety that will cater to our 3- to 5-year-old kids. With our (preschool) population growing by 4X, we need a decent space for that.”
For the middle school’s proposed new recreational area, the existing basketball courts would be complemented by the addition of pickleball courts, a volleyball court and a gaga ball pit, Darnell said, with synthetic turf surfacing. A walkway would surround the new recreational area.
All of the proposed facilities would be accessible for use by the public outside of school hours, Darnell noted.
“All three of these spaces will immediately become the pinnacle of what we have in Gibson City for community access,” Darnell said.
Other business
Also at the board’s Dec. 18 meeting in Gibson City: n The board approved a resolution in support of placing a referendum on the April 1 consolidated election ballot in McLean County calling for a 1% school facilities sales tax in McLean County. If passed, the sales tax would provide “very little” revenue to GCMS, which would receive an amount based on its McLean County student enrollment, currently totaling 12 students. “In Champaign County, we have 24 kids and get under $20,000 a year, so with 12 kids (in McLean County), I would guess it would be somewhere between $5,000 and $10,000 annually.” The referendum, if passed, would not affect sales taxes in Ford County, which comprises most of the GCMS school district. Ford County voters rejected a referendum for a 1% school facilities sales tax last spring, and there is no immediate interest in bringing the proposal back. Due to a clerical error, Darnell said the Dec. 18 meeting’s agenda incorrectly listed the consideration of a 1% school facilities sales tax in Ford County. n The board approved the paternity leave of Colton Leake starting around Tuesday, March 4. n The board approved the hiring of Luke Stout as a high school math teacher for the 2025-26 school year. n The board approved an independent contract change for Rheanna Harris, from a special education endorsement to math. n The board approved Carter Kallal serving as a volunteer wrestling coach for the 2024-25 season. n The board accepted the resignation of Amanda Scribner, effective Dec. 31. n The board approved the hiring of Sue Rhodes as a school district cook for three hours per day at an hourly pay rate of $15. n The board approved the district’s strategic plan for 2025-28. “This is actually the first time that we’ve gone through a full strategic plan,” Darnell noted. “We did a bunch of brainstorming and collaboration with an outside consultant (to develop the plan). In the 16 years I’ve been here (working at GCMS), it’s the first time we’ve had a strategic plan with actual actionable items in it.” n The board was presented with a certificate of recognition from the Illinois House of Representatives, courtesy of state Rep. Jason Bunting, for the high school being named “exemplary” on its school report card issued by the Illinois State Board of Education. n The board approved the Future Business Leaders of America chapter’s field trip to the FBLA conference on Saturday, Jan. 11, and the FFA chapter’s field trip to a Ground Zero Conference on Wednesday, Jan. 22, in Springfield. n The board voted to accept several donations, including a $4,900 anonymous donation for the football activity fund and a $1,200 donation from the GCMS Booster Club for the track-and-field program. n The board approved the destruction of audio recordings of closed sessions dating through the end of June 2023.