April 6, rural Logan County schools are hoping voters will approve a referendum that amends a tax already in place that will expand the scope of those dollars. 

Fred Lamkey is the Superintendent of Mt. Pulaski Schools and indicates the initial purpose of the one-cent sales tax was to go towards facility improvements and ease the burden on taxpayers. But since Gov. JB Pritzker has expanded the scope for where those dollars can go.

According to Lamkey, they have counselors in their school buildings already and have a good working relationship with the Mt. Pulaski Police Department and the Logan County Sheriff's Department. But he believes the mental and emotional wellness component of this legislation will be much needed down the road as well.

In a police reform bill signed into law last month, the school resource officer was initially proposed to be taken out of the school setting. That portion of the legislation was ultimately taken out, however, there is a belief that could get revisited this year. Lamkey says it is disappointing SROs are a political pawn for the games in Springfield.

According to Lamkey, the benefit of opening up the possibilities with this tax referendum is the opportunity to share resources like a social worker or school resource officer with other smaller districts like Hartsburg-Emden, whom we heard from earlier this week on Regional Radio News.

The referendum appears on the ballot in Logan County on April 5.