Forest Park School District 91 is moving forward with plans to build two new science labs at Forest Park Middle School. The school board unanimously accepted a bid for the project from Reed Construction, with the total cost capped at $474,000, during a board meeting on March 12.
The project was included in District 91’s fiscal year 2026 budget, which was approved by the school board in September 2025.
According to Robert Hubbird, District 91’s interim superintendent, nine construction firms submitted proposals on March 6. Those proposals were then reviewed by the project’s architect, who recommended Reed Construction.
“Reed was the least expensive and I think the proposal they submitted was great,” Hubbird said. “We are happy and excited to go with them.”
The adjacent science labs will feature a collapsible partition that allows the rooms to be combined for collaborative learning, along with a garden wall.
“The staff helped design it, so everyone’s been really involved,” Hubbird said. “This will really help bring science to life for our students.”
Hubbird said construction is scheduled to begin on June 1 and will be completed in time for the start of the 2026-27 school year.
In addition to approving a proposal to hire Reed Construction, the school board also held a recognition ceremony for this year’s School Citizen of the Year (SCOTY) Award winners during the March 12 meeting.
The SCOTY Award honors one student from each District 91 school who exemplifies leadership, kindness and responsibility, and serves as a role model within their school community.
This year’s recipients included Lamont Matthews from Forest Park Middle School, Kat Duffy from Field-Stevenson Elementary, Julia Sankovitch from Garfield Elementary, and Liana Tyler from Betsy Ross Elementary.
Representatives from each school spoke about this year’s winners, who were each presented with a plaque that recognized their accomplishment.
“SCOTY Award winners are known for their tremendous leadership, their character, and having a heart for service,” said Kevin Bacon, assistant principal of Forest Park Middle School.
While discussing eight-grader Lamont Matthews, Bacon highlighted the characteristics that led to his selection as this year’s recipient.
“He consistently demonstrates strong leadership qualities,” Bacon said. “He is respectful and compassionate towards others and always takes his academic responsibilities seriously.”
In addition to being dedicated to his studies, Matthews has also served as co-captain of the middle school’s basketball and volleyball teams this year.
“I didn’t expect to win the SCOTY Award,” Matthews said. “I was just being me. I tried to do the right thing around school, help my peers, and set an example for my peers.”