Danville School Board Approves Reorganization Of K-8 Classes; Permanently Closes Cannon

The Danville District 118 School Board voted Wednesday night to permanently close flood-damaged Cannon Elementary School, and reorganize district classes to adjust to the loss of the building.

Cannon Elementary School opened in 1924, the year after its namesake, former House Speaker Joseph “Uncle Joe” Cannon, retired from Congress. But flood damage during the Christmas break forced the school to close this past January. And on Wednesday night, the Danville School Board voted unanimously to close Cannon School for good, rather than pay for repairs estimated at nearly $9 million to cover both flood damage, and updates to meet current building codes.

In an interview earlier this month, Danville School Superintendent Alicia Geddis said she was confident that the Cannon School site would find a new use.

“I know there are a number of entities that are interested in the Cannon School site,” said Geddis. “We are more than willing to work with anyone who wants to take over that site and make it great. “

When flood damage closed Cannon School in January, students there were moved to a section of Mark Denman School. But Geddis said that’s too tight a fit for a long-term solution. So the administration proposed a major reorganization of District 118’s kindergarten through 8th grade classes to better adjust to the loss of the Cannon School building. The plan moves the district’s fifth grade students from the elementary schools to the middle schools. The Danville School Board approved the plan on a 6-1 vote Wednesday night.

Starting in the fall, Danville 5th graders will attend South View Middle School, along with the 6th graders. 7th and 8th-graders will attend North Ridge Middle School.

Danville School Superintendent Alicia Geddis said in early March that the new middle school system would keep the upper grades in a separate building from the lower grades.

Geddis said that’s “to allow us to address both the social and emotional needs of our fifth-graders, to minimize the interaction between the fifth-graders and eighth-graders, giving our fifth and sixth-graders the opportunity to remain in a self-contained classroom, as they have in the lower elementary schools.”

Geddis says kindergarten through 4th grade classes will continue to be held in District 118’s eight remaining elementary school buildings.

Cannon Elementary School opened in 1924, the year after its namesake, former House Speaker Joseph “Uncle Joe” Cannon, retired from Congress. But flood damage during the Christmas break forced the school to close this past January. And on Wednesday night, the Danville School Board voted unanimously to close Cannon School for good, rather than pay for repairs estimated at nearly $9 million to cover both flood damage, and updates to meet current building codes.

In an interview earlier this month, Danville School Superintendent Alicia Geddis said she was confident that the Cannon School site would find a new use.

“I know there are a number of entities that are interested in the Cannon School site,” said Geddis. “We are more than willing to work with anyone who wants to take over that site and make it great. “

When flood damage closed Cannon School in January, students there were moved to a section of Mark Denman School. But Geddis said that’s too tight a fit for a long-term solution. So the administration proposed a major reorganization of District 118’s kindergarten through 8th grade classes to better adjust to the loss of the Cannon School building. The plan moves the district’s fifth grade students from the elementary schools to the middle schools. The Danville School Board approved the plan on a 6-1 vote Wednesday night.

Starting in the fall, Danville 5th graders will attend South View Middle School, along with the 6th graders. Seventh and 8th graders will attend North Ridge Middle School.

Danville School Superintendent Alicia Geddis said in early March that the new middle school system would keep the upper grades in a separate building from the lower grades.

Geddis said that’s “to allow us to address both the social and emotional needs of our fifth-graders, to minimize the interaction between the fifth-graders and eighth-graders, giving our fifth and sixth-graders the opportunity to remain in a self-contained classroom, as they have in the lower elementary schools.”

Geddis says kindergarten through 4th grade classes will continue to be held in District 118’s eight remaining elementary school buildings.