Springfield, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – District 186 board members Monday heard a presentation from financial services firm Stifel on another potential bond sale, as more than one trustee is concerned about the optics of a wave of construction and a concurrent wave of layoffs.

In possibly pausing or delaying the Our Schools, Our Future program, board members Debi Iams and Micah Miller displayed their disagreements.

Iams: “This looks like a sabotage to the southeast side of town, and that is a real problem.”
Miller: “Completely untrue. Completely untrue. That’s not what we are talking about at all. There is enough money right now in sales tax bonding to take care of that (new) south side elementary school. We haven’t had to say no to anything, and we are saying no to a lot of other people right now, so maybe we can say no to ourselves.”
Iams: “Well, maybe you should have been saying no earlier in the process.”
Miller: “Where were you?”
Iams: “I wasn’t on the board yet.”
Miller: “Come on!”
Iams: “I wasn’t on the board yet.”

The construction – particularly of Lanphier and Springfield High Schools – has been far more expensive than expected.