The District 205 Board of Education approved specifications for Northside Construction Projects at Galesburg Jr./Sr. High School at the Monday, Aug. 12, 2024, meeting. Pictured is a proposed warehouse that would be located at the site of the former Rose Hoben Welch School. (Sketch provided by District 205)
The Galesburg School Board Monday officially signed off on more than $15 million worth of work that will result in a new district warehouse, artificial turf on varsity baseball and softball fields, and an expansion to Wicall Gym.
About $3 million of that money will go into so-called “soft costs” related to the project that also includes the tearing down of Gale and Rose Hoben Welch schools.
District-205 Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations Jennifer Hamm says most of the work will be paid for through the district’s Building Fund, but there may be some short-term cash flow issues.
“We are possibly going to speak to F&M Bank about a line of credit, just because of timing of cash flow and tax receipts, and (the district’s) one cent sales tax,” said Hamm. “There may be a small overlap, so there may be a small line of credit for a couple months, until those revenues come in.”
Both the district’s Building Fund tax levy line item, and the one percent sales tax, can’t be used for other purposes, said District Superintendent John Asplund.
“In 2010, when that referendum was passed, the one percent sales tax goes directly to schools for facilities,” said Asplund. “Those funds can only be used for facilities. Everybody knows we’ve already fixed up buildings. So, we’re going to have millions of dollars coming into this fund, with really not a lot of place to put that money.”
There are also restrictions on being able to do intra-fund transfers, under state law.
The district decided to forego the building of a roundabout that would have helped some traffic flow from Dayton Street.
All the work is expected to be done by the end of next year.
