Vote Issued Rock Island-Milan schools passed in all 40 precincts

        The Rock Island-Milan School Board and Superintendent Rick Loy were pleased when all 40 precincts voted to support a recent school referendum.  This will let the district issue bonds that will build a new elementary school and make substantial changes to 8 elementary schools and 2 junior high schools.  Within this new school restructuring, there will be much choice built in for families.  There will be an academy and a school which specializes in math and science.  Another elementary school will specialize in liberal arts.  Many meetings were held throughout the community and Superintendent Loy said he tried to be as honest as possible with the voters on this referendum.  Hopefully by August of 2009 these new buildings will be ready for students.

            The real surprise to me was that every precinct voted for this.  Senior citizens often talk about their cost of living and how living on a fixed income is so difficult and yet they voted for good schools.  It’s really heartwarming for a potential teacher to see a community come together with a common goal.  The bottom line is that communities with good schools attract industry, jobs, and tax payers.  I think Rock Island is a district to be admired for this radical step forward.  The chance to begin teaching in an elementary school with a liberal arts focus would be wonderful.  I think that having specialized school such as the math and science academies are something that been needed for a very long time.  Most inner city schools have made steps towards revamping into academies long before this area.  This will not only help our economy in the future, but also allow children to become more excited to go to school when they have the choice to decide what they want to study.   Rock Island-Milan is trying to maintain a neighborhood school concept but is realistic enough to know that that pattern is antiquated.  Many people opposed the new school because it happened to sit on what had been previously a historic landmark which was ruined by fire.  I agree with those who felt that sacrificing the history of the area had to come second to this bold new use of such a large piece of ground in central Rock Island.