Hononegah Community High School Board votes to respond to Rock Valley College’s Request for Proposal. Rockton, Roscoe, and South Beloit leaders sign on in support.

Building on the success of its architectural award-winning Fieldhouse,
Hononegah Community High School District #207 (HCHS) will submit a proposal to build the Rock Valley College Advanced Technology Center on land owned by the school district. The Hononegah Board of Education authorized submission of the proposal by unanimous vote at its meeting Wednesday night.

If their proposal is chosen, Hononegah plans to partner with Ringland-Johnson Construction to build a state-of-the-art facility. The Board reviewed renderings of what the facility may look like, but the design has not been finalized. HCHS and Ringland-Johnson worked together on the Hononegah Fieldhouse which opened in April 2019.

Hononegah is proposing that the facility be constructed west of the high school on its vacant property that was once the site of the Rockton Grade School. The property, which served generations of students in Rockton, would once again become an educational center for the community. The location is central to the Stateline area and is accessible from I-90, Illinois Route 251, Illinois Route 2 and Illinois Route 75 for students coming from the greater Rockford area.

Rockton Village President Dale Adams, Roscoe Village President Mark Szula and South Beloit Mayor Ted Rehl are all backing the proposal. In a letter, the three community leaders expressed their “unified and unconditional support of the Hononegah Community High School District’s proposal to bring the Advanced Technology Center to the northern part of our county.” The Stateline Chamber of Commerce and numerous area businesses and industries have also sent letters of support.

According to the request for proposal, Rock Valley College anticipates 150 to 200 students in attendance at the Center daily. The facility will be available to all students within the Rock Valley District. The request for proposal contemplates a 20-year lease with Rock Valley for use of the facility, which would be owned by Hononegah. Hononegah plans for the lease payments to cover the cost of construction and future maintenance.

The Advanced Technology Center would provide dual credit opportunities for Hononegah students and advanced training opportunities for current and future employees of businesses in the region. Bringing the Center to the Stateline area would expand the Rock Valley College footprint in the region and support the area’s commitment to career and technical education and training.

“The proposed placement for the Advanced Technology Center on Hononegah’s campus is in alignment with the District’s strategic goal of building mutually beneficial community partnerships that ultimately improve students’ opportunities for success. We look forward to having Rock Valley review and respond to our proposal,” said Hononegah Superintendent Michael Dugan.

For further information:
Contact Superintendent Michael Dugan mdugan@hononegah.org (815) 624-5009