Future of Dennis Lab School

Consultation has concluded

UPDATE September 5, 2023

We are THRILLED to have our students back in school and in our classrooms (both in the building and in the completed modular units). Dennis Lab School will continue to be located at the former Garfield School site at 300 Meadow Terrace Place for the remainder of the 2023-24 school year. Additional staff and visitor parking was also completed on September 5 on the back side of the school, accessible off West Imboden Drive.

Continue to follow this page for updates as we determine next steps for the two Dennis buildings and the future of Dennis Lab School.

UPDATE August 22, 2023

At a regularly scheduled DPS Board of Education meeting, DPS Administration provided another update on the progress of the short-term plan for Dennis Lab School. Click here to view the update presented to the Board of Education on August 22, 2023. A robocall, email, and text message was also sent to all Dennis families and staff on the evening of August 22, 2023, with the following information:

We are excited to share the progress on installing modular units at our temporary home at Garfield School. All the modular units have been delivered and setup continues. We are on track to welcome students for their first day on Tuesday, September 5!

DON'T FORGET: If you haven't registered your Dennis student(s) yet, you MUST get them registered by 3:00 p.m. this Friday, August 25. You can register your student(s) by logging in to Skyward, please reach out to our school if you need Skyward assistance. Our phone number is the same, 217-362-3510.

Updates will continue to be provided at upcoming Board meetings as well as in continuing communications with families and staff.

Click here to view the contracts for lease of modular units.

UPDATE August 8, 2023

At a regularly scheduled DPS Board of Education meeting, DPS Administration provided another update on the progress of the short-term plan for Dennis Lab School. Click here to view the update presented to the Board of Education on August 8, 2023. Updates will continue to be provided at upcoming Board meetings as well as in continuing communications with families and staff.

UPDATE August 2, 2023

The following message was sent to all Dennis families and staff on Wednesday, August 2, 2023, regarding the start of the 2023-24 school year:

Good afternoon Dennis families and staff. We have important information about the start of the school year. We understand there has been a lot of stress following the abrupt closure of the two Dennis Lab School campuses, and the start of the school year for Dennis staff and students. We have clear guidance from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and have informed our union groups – the start of school for Dennis staff and students will be delayed, as we continue to set up modular units for students to attend in person at the temporary Dennis location at Garfield School, located at 300 Meadow Terrace Place on Decatur’s South side. The tentative date for Dennis students to begin in person at the Garfield location will be Tuesday, September 5, the day after the Labor Day holiday. Delaying the start of school will also mean that Dennis students must attend beyond the established end of the school year for the rest of the District. The end date for Dennis students and staff will tentatively be Friday, June 14, 2024.

We know this entire process has been frustrating and has created a lot of stress for our families and our staff. We have had multiple conversations with ISBE and the Regional Office of Education regarding possible solutions, including e-learning, emergency days, and alternate locations. However, given the statutory constraints, and the logistics and availability of alternative locations, we have determined that pushing back the start of school for Dennis students is the most practical solution.

One note for Dennis families who use the Extended Day program – it will not be available until students begin attending classes on the first day of in-person instruction, again tentatively set for Tuesday, September 5. We will also provide grab-n-go meals for Dennis students, starting Monday, August 14, and continuing through the time that students are not in session in person. More information to come as soon as details are finalized.

We will continue to share updates with you leading up to the start of school. We know this is not ideal for families or staff; we appreciate your understanding, patience, and cooperation.

UPDATE July 24, 2023

At a Special DPS Board of Education meeting on Monday, July 24, 2023, DPS administration presented another update to the Board and our community regarding the short-term plan for Dennis Lab School. Click here to view the update presented to the Board of Education on July 24, 2023. Updates will continue to be provided at upcoming Board meetings as well as in continuing communications with families and staff.

UPDATE July 13, 2023

Decatur Public Schools received a notice on Thursday, July 13, 2023, from the Illinois Department of Labor that an OSHA complaint had been filed on Thursday, July 6, 2023, regarding Dennis Lab Schools. The OSHA complaint alleges that the building is closed and yet employees are present coming in and out of the building, and that there is mold and asbestos present in the Dennis facilities. As a result of this complaint, DPS is prohibiting any further access to the Dennis Lab School buildings and will be closing off all access points to the buildings. All contents that have yet to be moved will remain in the facilities, as access is now prohibited.

Click here to view the letter DPS received from the Illinois Department of Labor.

UPDATE July 11, 2023

At the DPS Board of Education's regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, July 11, 2023, DPS administration presented another update to the Board and our community regarding the short-term plan for Dennis Lab School, as well as updates for Garfield Learning Academy and Stephen Decatur Middle School. Click here to view the update presented to the Board of Education on July 11, 2023. Updates will continue to be provided at upcoming Board meetings as well as in continuing communications with families and staff.

UPDATE June 29, 2023

Bacon Farmer Workman Engineering and Testing, Inc., the company that completed the initial structural analysis of both DennisLab School buildings, submitted its complete reports on both buildings to the District on June 20, 2023. The District received these documents and took a few days to review them, as well as allow Board of Education members to review them. Both documents are now posted in the timeline below.

UPDATE June 28, 2023

At its regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, July 27, the DPS Board of Education approved leasing up to 16 modular classrooms to be placed on the Garfield School site, so that all Dennis Lab School students can be housed in a single temporary location. At this time, DPS Administrators are working to secure the 10 additional modular classrooms.

We will provide another update to our community and the Board at the July 11, 2023, regularly scheduled Board of Education meeting, which will be held at MacArthur High School starting at 6:30 p.m.

UPDATE June 22, 2023

DPS Administration presented a Short-Term Proposed Plan recommendation for Dennis Lab School students and staff for the 2023-24 school year during a Special Board of Education meeting on Wednesday, June 21, 2023. Click here to review the recommendation as of June 21, 2023 — this proposal is subject to change.

“Last night the Board, as well as my staff and I heard the appeals from Dennis Lab School staff to do everything we can to keep all Dennis grade levels together in one location. We absolutely agree that would be ideal," said Dr. Rochelle Clark, Superintendent of Decatur Public Schools. "We are doing all we can to find enough modular units to place on the Garfield site to fit all Dennis students there to start school this fall. No matter what, we will have an update to provide to the Board and our community on Tuesday night.”

Another update will be provided to the Board and our community at the Board's regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, June 27, 2023. That meeting is at 6:30 p.m. in the Keil Administration Building. As always, families, staff, and our community are welcome to attend.

Click here to view Frequently Asked Questions.

Administration at Decatur Public Schools has recently learned that both Dennis Lab School buildings are structurally compromised. As such, administration and the Board of Education have determined that students and staff will not be in the two Dennis Lab School campuses for the 2023-24 school year.

“Safety is our first priority. Although we do not have a timeline as to when these structural findings will be addressed or the cost associated with the findings, we do know Dennis Lab School students will not attend school this fall at the two sites," said Dr. Rochelle Clark, Superintendent of Decatur Public Schools.

We are currently looking at options for our Dennis school community and hope to have a solid recommendation for the DPS Board of Education to approve at its June 27, 2023, regularly scheduled Board meeting, if not sooner. We will share updated information as it becomes available, as well as schedule a community forum to share those recommendations with our Dennis families.

Below you’ll find information that includes structural evaluations of each building and recommendations by engineers, as well as a timeline of events that led up to these findings, the latest Health Life Safety reviews for each building, Frequently Asked Questions, and planned next steps. Again, both Dennis Lab School campuses remain closed until further notice.

The District has ensured compliance of the required 10-Year Health Life Safety (HLS) Surveys, which did not reveal the current structural issues that have been recently identified.

10-Year Health Life Safety (HLS) Surveys and Reports completed in 2013 for each building, click on link to view each:
- 2013 Mosaic Campus (original Dennis Lab School on West Main Street) HLS Report
- 2013 Kaleidoscope Campus (original French Academy on West Wood Street) HLS Report

How Did We Get Here?

Below is a timeline of events that led up to the findings by structural engineers and ultimately the closure of the two Dennis Lab School buildings.

October 24, 2022: First meeting between Superintendent and Dennis administration to discuss next steps for the future of Dennis Lab School, its grade-level separation, and staffing needs.

November 2, 2022: Superintendent met with Dennis administration to further discuss future needs, including space for more classrooms, furniture, and general touch-ups to the buildings.

February 7, 2023: Superintendent and district administration attended Dennis faculty meeting to discuss school needs and set up for 2023-24 school year. Staff raised the following concerns:

Building issues, including HVAC concerns; ceiling leaks; elevator in Kaleidoscope needing reworked so it doesn't open to classroom space; wood damage under carpet; room shakes when music played in room above, want sound-proofing.
Dr. Clark discussed revising the grade-levels at facilities to K-4 and 5-8.
Dr. Clark said she would reach out to Buildings & Grounds to determine what can be done to address staff building concerns.

March 7, 2023: Superintendent and district administration attended another faculty meeting at Dennis, letting staff know we were still trying to get a structural analysis scheduled. The goal was to complete the analysis during a time when there would be fewer students present, ideally an early release day. March 22, April 19, May 17 = half days in which the engineering review was attempted to be scheduled, but engineer and/or DPS staff schedules did not align.

April 17, 2023: Superintendent talked with Dennis Assistant Principal about what Dennis team felt would be best for both Dennis campuses. Staff wanted to keep grade levels status quo for 2023-24 school year and to conduct an equity audit of fixtures and furnishings compared to other facilities.

May 30, 2023: Initial structural analysis completed on-site at both Dennis Lab school buildings by Philip Holthaus, P.E., S.E., structural engineer with Bacon Farmer Workman Engineering and Testing, Inc., based in Champaign, Illinois.

Click here to view the initial structural engineering analysis.

May 31, 3023: DPS administration closed both facilities, based on findings from initial structural engineer analysis.

June 1, 2023: Klingner & Associates from Quincy completed an in-depth study of both Dennis Lab School buildings and sent the final analyses to DPS Administration late in the day on Thursday, June 8, 2023.

Summary of second structural review findings from Klingner & Associates, based in Quincy, Illinois, with complete documents linked below:
- Mosaic Campus (original Dennis School building on West Main Street): The original staircase spanning all floors on the north side of the building needs to be fully repaired or replaced. The structural report recommends no access to areas below, above, or adjacent to the stairs until repair or replacement is completed.
- Kaleidoscope Campus (original French Academy building on West Wood Street): Structural report recommends partial demolition and replacement of the original 1913 three-story building, and no access to the original building as well as the adjacent two-story addition until repair or replacement is completed.

June 20, 2023: Bacon Farmer Workman Engineering and Testing, Inc., based in Champaign, Illinois, submitted its complete structural analysis reports from both buildings to the District:

What Comes Next?

These reports have been reviewed by administration as well as the DPS Board of Education. The next steps include working with DPS Buildings & Grounds staff, as well as BLDD Architects, to review the recommendations, cost estimates, timeline, and feasibility of repair and/or replacement options for the two Dennis campuses. As this work has just begun, we do not currently have a timeline for when these reviews will be completed.

Again, we do know that students and staff will not be in the two Dennis Lab School campuses for the 2023-24 school year. However, at this time, we are still reviewing options for where Dennis Lab School students will attend school this fall. We will share updated information with our school community as soon as we can.