District 205 Superintendent Ralph Grimm says it’s likely in the next couple of months he’ll bring a plan to the board that could result in the closing of a school.
While being asked to approve next year’s tentative budget Monday night, several board members made comments to the effect that building costs are what’s causing the largest part of a $1.9 million operational budget deficit.
Grimm presented a district revitalization process to move the district towards a balanced budget in January, in light of ten plus years of sinking enrollment.
Part of that revitalization process includes a comprehensive building study, in which an architect presents the district with a myriad of options for configuring students, teachers, classrooms and buildings. That study is around 90 percent finished according to Grimm.
He also tells Galesburg’s Morning News on WGIL that if he brings a plan forward, it likely means the district will be losing a building.
“So, what does that mean across the board? It means possibly not having five elementary schools, not having neighborhood schools,” Grimm says. “And that’s a huge shift in thinking for some people and we know that. We recognize that.”
Grimm also mentioned exploring if the district needs two junior highs.
The superintendent promises many more conversations with the board and community before decisions are finalized.
