Signs point to the Galesburg School District’s withdrawal from the Knox-Warren Special Education District.
District 205 Superintendent Ralph Grimm says special education operations without the co-op are expected to look much the same as they do now.
He says the main difference would be that the district is entirely in charge of any decisions made regarding special education.
Grimm tells WGIL the number of students and employees would be “essentially the same,” adding that employment is controlled by contract language and state statute.
“There’s a rumor out there that we’re going to fire everybody and make everyone reapply for their jobs and treat them as first year teachers,” Grimm says. “That’s absolutely false.”
He says the School Board will be voting Monday on a resolution that would authorize the district to file a petition indicating their intent to withdraw.
“The other districts will then have to vote to approve that decision and then determine whether its going to be a consensual withdrawal or not,” Grimm says.
Outside districts would have some authority to impose conditions on District 205’s withdrawal.
If the Galesburg School District does withdraw from the co-op, changes won’t go into effect until July 1 of 2017.
