The Galesburg District 205 Board of Education could approve a facilities plan at Monday night’s meeting.
The facilities plan has been closely watched by members of the community as the board considers school closings, changes to which building students attend, as well as how to use tens of millions of dollars in Health/Life/Safety funds.
Details of the facilities plan are not immediately available, but the school board’s agenda does state that the board will consider selling $40.5M in School Fire Prevention and Safety Bonds as well as declaring the intent to issue another $12M in working cash fund bonds.
The school board could also approve the levy for the 2018 Tax Year.
According to board documents, the anticipated equalized assessed value of the tax base will see an increase of about $3.3 million dollars to $428.7M.
The tax rate last year was $4.83 which led to a tax levy over $20.5M. The board will consider requesting a tax rate of $4.92 which would levy over $21.5M.
Superintendent Dr. John Asplund says that the board will make the decision about where to set the levy and these numbers are just preliminary.
“The tax rate last year went down 12 cents from the year prior so we will be having a conversation regarding where the board wants to put the tax rate going forward,” Asplund tells WGIL. “So, at this point, no decisions have been made, we are putting the preliminary levy at the level it was two years ago so we can have a conversation about where to go from here.”
The board could also approve a pair of spring trip requests for the high school baseball and softball teams, as well as the approval of a secretarial position for the district’s Athletic and Vocational Directors.
The board will be holding a public hearing over the sale of the School Fire Prevention and Safety Bonds at 7:00 p.m. followed by the November board meeting at the district offices on Harrison Street.
