What if the General Obligation Bond does not pass on March 20?

Our students and teachers must have safe environments in which to learn and teach. Building improvements will continue to be assessed and prioritized as outlined by the mandated Health/Life Safety Plan. Funds from the one percent sales tax, designated for building use only, can be used for these projects. However, these funds do not begin to cover all of the district’s infrastructure issues. Mounting maintenance costs at the jr. high will drain funds from projects at Central Elementary and Amboy High School.

Why does this include a new gym and library for the high school? What are secure school entrances?

A new gym and library/media center for the high school are included in these building plans for two reasons. 1) The current high school was built to accommodate 500 students in four grades, not 500 students in eight grade levels. Therefore, each school needs a gym and library/media center. With two functional gyms, students will continue to receive required physical education instruction by grade level. Sports teams will be able to practice at reasonable times of the day, rather than scheduling practices before school or late into the night.

The new library/media center will give high school students the updated learning environment featuring additional space to encourage peer learning, group work, and computer use. 

 2) One of the top concerns heard about this building addition is, “will junior high and high school students be separated?” This building plan addresses this through the addition of the gym and library/media center as outlined above.

 In today’s world every school needs a secure entrance. A doorbell with a posted message for visitors to check-in at the office is not the best way to keep our students, teachers and staff safe. Secure school entrances include a secure lobby where administrative staff can assess a visitor’s intention prior to allowing him/her into the main building. This referendum secures two of our buildings and helps to keep children and adults safe. 

Building new seems short-sighted. Has consolidation with neighboring school districts been explored?

The short answer is consolidation has been explored and is always in discussion. Amboy Schools has several partnerships with neighboring school districts to share resources for sports and academics. The Board of Education recognizes the value of fostering these relationships to create a positive educational environment for all youth. However, consolidation is a lengthy discussion, which requires multiple parties, including the Illinois State Board of Education, to be at the table with open minds and a dedication to compromise. Consolidation doesn’t happen overnight and is not in the foreseeable future.

The infrastructure challenges at the Amboy Jr. High will not wait for people to work through complex consolidation talks. Instead, those challenges are present today with a need for an immediate response. Passage of the General Obligation Bond on March 20 is the immediate action we can take to give our students and teachers a better learning environment and allocate tax dollars in a responsible manner.

Editor’s note: This is part 2 of a series of frequently asked questions and answers about the upcoming General Obligation Bond question on the March 20th ballot.