The Moline Board of Education on Sept. 8 approved final design refinements for the Lincoln Irving Elementary expansion and voted to lease Buildings A and B at Western Illinois University (the QC Complex) as a temporary site for students during the year of construction.

The lease was presented to the board as an anticipated cost of $20,000 per month; the agreement includes provisions for additional charges if Western (technology support or utility costs) exceed the allowances built into the monthly figure. Board members approved the lease in a roll-call vote; Board member Audrey Adamson recorded an abstention and the motion carried with five members voting yes.

Board members and district presenters said the Western site best met the district's needs for safety, available classrooms and minimal renovation work compared with other sites the district had considered. The district described Buildings A and B as roughly 66,000 square feet with about 22 classrooms and additional office and specialist space; district staff said the space is already configured for classroom use, reducing retrofit time and cost compared with other options the district examined.

District staff and the design team also presented updated exterior materials, simplified color palettes and interior finishes for the expansion. Zach, an architect with Ligon Architects, said the project is in the construction-document phase and is "in the tail end of design here" as the team prepares bid documents. The board was shown revised floor plans and a video walkthrough of the main entry, learning stair, breakout spaces and a new two-story addition connected to the existing building.

Why it matters: The decision affects where about 350 Lincoln Irving students and more than 50 staff will attend while the school is rebuilt. The board and district emphasized minimizing disruption to instruction, avoiding extensive renovation and sunk costs at alternate sites, and keeping students together in a site that supports transportation and after-school partnerships.

Key timeline and budget items presented to the board: district staff said bid documents would be released Oct. 20, bids received Nov. 20, board approval targeted Dec. 8, site work to begin in March or April (weather dependent) and student occupancy targeted for August 2027. The district described the Coolidge site (previously considered) as requiring roughly $250,000'$350,000 in upgrades and noted that school was scheduled for demolition in the district's long-term facilities plan, which factored into the decision to pursue Western's buildings instead.

Transportation and partnerships: The district said it had worked with MetroLink to arrange student transport to the Western site and that MetroLink preferred the QC Complex loop for drop-off and bus routing. District staff said they were also in preliminary discussions with the YMCA and Boys & Girls Club to coordinate after-school programming and transportation.

Board actions and directions: The board approved the lease (anticipated $20,000 monthly) and the design team will finalize construction documents and release the project to bid. Staff were directed to continue coordination with Western Illinois University, MetroLink and community partners on technology, security, transportation and after-school logistics. The district plans a further presentation to the board in October with an updated walkthrough video and additional community engagement on naming the new building and selecting a mascot for the consolidated Lincoln Irving/Willard community.

Quotes from the meeting: Zach, Ligon Architects, said, "We're in the tail end of design here," describing the team's move from design development to construction documents. In discussion after the presentation, a district leader described the Western lease as keeping project dollars "in the community" because the cost would remain with another local governmental organization.

Next steps: The district will finalize bid documents, continue technology and transportation coordination, present a naming-process strategy to the board before public engagement begins and return to the board in October with updated visuals and a schedule for bidding and contract award.

Details recorded in the board minutes: the board motion to approve the lease passed with an abstention by Audrey Adamson; the minutes record roll-call votes from board members Ramona Dixon (yes), Jason Farrell (yes), Lindsay Hynes (yes), Jeff Maness (yes) and Laura Severson (yes). The board also scheduled additional stakeholder meetings starting Oct. 1 for classroom entry design input and other project details.

Ending: District leaders said they will distribute a joint press release with Western Illinois University and MetroLink, send family communications in five languages (English, Spanish, Swahili, Dari and Pashto), and continue community briefings as the project moves to bid.