Referendum ball may begin rolling Monday

Local taxpayers can learn more about a possible Galva School District tax referendum at an open forum 7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 9 in the Galva Junior-Senior High School cafeteria.

All people interested in learning more about the potential referendum and/or being on a committee to try to get the issue on the November election ballot are invited.

The event won’t be a formal meeting, but rather an open forum in which Galva School Board members will be milling around, meeting the public, handing out Galva School District financial information, receiving input and answering questions.

“The primary purpose of the event is to continue to educate people about the financial challenges facing education in the state of Illinois,” Galva School Board President Gary Edmonds said Aug. 2. “The secondary purpose is to get a feel for the community’s desire to continue to provide quality education for our students.”

Driving the issue are well-documented cuts in state and federal aid. The board sees a tax increase as a way to help.

“The board is interested in a stable source of funding that will allow the district to provide the education we feel is important,” Edmonds said. “Clearly, the state government has no vested interest in our children. The needs of our children demand that we look for alternative sources of revenue. We cannot continue to cut critical components of our educational system because of economic shortfalls.”

Placing a referendum on the ballot only requires a majority vote by school board members. Edmonds said the board plans to vote – for or against it – at its Aug. 23 meeting.