Local Schools Subject of Community Meeting

A community meeting regarding Unit 40 school district facilities and what needs should be addressed took place Thursday night.

The gathering at Koerner Distributor was an opportunity to consider the condition of the various district attendance centers and both the pros and cons of those facilities. A study by BLDD Architects led to Thursday's presentation.

The findings indicated that the facilities are in pretty good shape and are well cared for, but some might be inadequate for future needs. 

The Early Learning Center was the building that drew the most comments from participants in the gathering in part because the lack of walls leads to noise concerns. Those present had been gathered into small groups. In addition to the ELC, another focus was that students from seven different language groups attend Unit 40 and teachers are struggling with how to teach those kids.

The 1% sales tax that is again being considered for a vote in the November election in the county as a revenue source was discussed in some of the focus groups, but the district's needs were the chief focus.

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Two additional meetings are scheduled. The next will be held on March 21 at Cornerstone Christian Church on South Banker in Effingham. The third is scheduled for April 18th. The location for that meeting is still being determined.