Springfield, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – The transition is on for some District 186 alternative education functions. They will move out of Douglas School and into Lawrence Education Center, which in turn saw Springfield Learning Academy move to White Oaks Mall.

“When we moved SLA to the mall,” said superintendent Jennifer Gill, “that left us the ability to renovate Lawrence School, and so we’ve added an elevator. It was a three-story building with no elevator, so we made sure it had an elevator. We redid the restrooms, and the last couple of weeks there was some sewer damage coming in from the street, Laurel.”

Douglas, Gill said, is outdated. “Douglas programming will just be at Lawrence School. Douglas itself is a very small building, doesn’t have a cafeteria, doesn’t have a gym, so this will be a better space and since were not utilizing it anymore. We’re renovating it and moving our program there.”

Improvements at Douglas will include a new roof, though the building’s next use is undetermined.