A rendering of what the Wings Academy will look like once completed. A new two-story addition will house an elevator and office spaces and serve as an entry way. The playground will be to the east of the school.

Walls are going up in the former American Legion building in Kewanee, and Wings Academy is beginning to look like the school its planners envisioned.

With construction on track for completion by Aug. 1 and an opening targeted for mid‑August 2026, the two‑story academy is taking shape as a purpose‑built learning environment for Henry and Stark counties students with complex needs.

Upper photo shows the lower level that is taking shape. The walls are in place for four classroom and office spaces. Lower left, the upper level’s wall are up, and lower right, shows the school’s kitchen and the Life Skills room, which will serve as an apartment-like classroom for students 18-22. [Photos by Susan DeVilder]

The Henry‑Stark Special Education District expects to open the school with about 40 students referred by its eight member districts. The goal, said Kim Johnson, Life Skills Program coordinator for Henry-Stark Counties Special Education, is to bring students back closer to home after years of busing some to programs in the Quad Cities, Peoria and Galesburg.

“We don’t want to send anyone out. We want to keep them close to home as much as possible,” Johnson said. “We’ve always had a strong commitment to students and families, and we’ve never wanted to send students out to other programs. This will ensure we don’t have to.”

Building designed around student needs

Kim Johnson, left, and Ellie Hendrix gave The Kewanee Voice a first glimpse into the new academy. Johnson is the coordinator of Life Skills Program for the Henry-Stark Counties Special Education. Hendrix, a Wethersfield teacher, will transition to the school later this year. Both women have been involved with planning the facility. [Photo by Susan DeVilder]

The academy’s design reflects years of advocacy from educators and service providers who pushed for a setting tailored to students who have historically been underserved. Johnson said the project represents “an opportunity to create something intentional, compassionate and truly responsive to students who have historically been underserved,” adding that it reflects a belief that “all students deserve an environment designed around their strengths, needs and potential, not one that asks them to simply ‘fit’ into existing systems.”

A planning committee of about 15 teachers, social workers and specialists helped shape the layout. The district had searched for a suitable building for some time before the former American Legion property became available. At more than 10,000 square feet, it offered the space and structure needed for a full renovation. A building on Elliott Street was also considered but was ultimately too small.

“This came open and we were like, hold on — that’s a perfect shell ready to be built,” Johnson said.

A loan from Peoples National Bank is financing the project, which is expected to cost just over $6 million. Tuition payments from member districts will repay the loan.

What the new school will include

A new foundation on the south side of the building is underway. The foundation is for a two-story addition. The elevator is also under construction. [Photo by Susan DeVilder]

The academy will be fully contained except for food service and transportation. The new two‑story addition currently under construction will house the elevator and office space.

The lower level for kindergartners through fifth grade is laid out with four classrooms connected with Jack and Jill bathrooms between them. There will be speech and language offices, an office for a social worker and nurse, a staff lounge and sensory spaces in the classrooms and hallways for when students need to “take a break.”

The upper level will be for sixth grade to 22-year-old students and also have four classrooms. On the upper floor will be the kitchen laid out next to the Life Skills room. The vision for that room will be an apartment-style space for students ages 18-22. Occupational and physical therapy and additional sensory spaces will also occupy the upper floor.

For the older students, the Life Skills room will include a sofa, dining table and household features where students will learn job skills, apartment maintenance, cleaning and food service. Plans call for older students to help serve meals to younger students as part of their training.

Ellie Hendrix, a Life Skills teacher at Wethersfield who has been involved in the design process from the beginning, will transition to Wings Academy when it opens. She noted that each classroom includes a sensory area, and the building will feature a high‑tech sensory room the district hopes to preview for the public once completed.

A rendering of the exterior of Wings Academy that will be visible from the parking lot on the southwest corner of the building.

Outdoor plans and community connection

Outside, part of the existing parking lot will be converted back to green space. A playground is planned for the east side of the building.

The district expects to employ 35 to 40 staff members across a wide range of disciplines.

“We’re going to need a lot of very dedicated, compassionate people from a range of disciplines,” Johnson said, noting the need for teachers, paraprofessionals and related service providers.

Johnson said the project embodies the goals and hopes of employees who have long pushed for the right support and structures for students.

“It is a source of pride for our employees to know they are part of something built to give students the tools, confidence and support they need to spread their wings,” she said.

A rendering of the front of Wings Academy that faces Railroad Avenue.

Hiring underway

Wings Academy is currently seeking applicants. Interested candidates can visit www.hscsed.org, select the Jobs tab, and click Current Job Openings to apply.

The district also encourages the public to follow the Wings Academy Facebook page for updates and opportunities to support the project.

Johnson and Hendrix both said they were excited for the academy’s opening.