Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Intergovernmental Agreement topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Ball Chatham board approves land swap with Springfield 186, OKs collaboration with UIS
Summary
The Ball Chatham CUSD 5 board voted unanimously to approve an amended annexation petition that swaps a parcel at UIS for property under Hazel Elementary with Springfield School District 186, and separately approved a collaboration agreement with UIS to support teacher preparation; the swap includes a two-year undo contingency and is described as having no immediate fiscal impact on Ball Chatham.
The Ball Chatham CUSD 5 school board voted unanimously to approve an amended annexation petition that will transfer a parcel at the University of Illinois Springfield (UIS) campus to Springfield School District 186 while Ball Chatham acquires the parcel beneath Hazel Elementary.
Dr. Layman, who presented the proposal, said the exchange was negotiated to protect Ball Chatham’s interests and that neither parcel currently produces tax revenue for either district. “That is district 186’s plan. That is not our plan,” Dr. Layman said, explaining the board’s agreement to a land trade that preserves the district’s fiscal position today while altering boundary lines.
Board members discussed the long-term implications. The board record notes the parcel Ball Chatham would receive currently sits under Hazel Elementary and is not taxed; Dr. Layman said that if the site were redeveloped and sold it could become taxable in the future, offering potential long-term value to the district. He also told the board the parcel Ball Chatham would give up is on UIS property and unlikely to become taxable for Ball Chatham.
The amended petition includes a contingency clause: if Springfield’s project on the acquired parcel does not proceed within two years, the agreement would be undone. Board members characterized the swap as an equitable resolution reached through negotiation and mediation with District 186 and external counsel.
In a separate but related motion the board unanimously approved a collaboration agreement with UIS. Dr. Layman described that document as a written commitment from UIS to work with Ball Chatham on teacher-preparation efforts and other cooperative activities tied to the new elementary on UIS property. Supporters on the board said the ongoing collaboration could provide long-term benefits for student preparation and local teacher pipelines.
Both the land-swap intergovernmental agreement and the UIS collaboration were approved on voice/roll-call votes with the recorded yes votes from the board members present.
Next steps: the approvals allow District 186 to proceed with its annexation/land-trade process and to continue its planning; the board record notes the two-year contingency that would revert the swap if District 186’s project fails to move forward.
