Springfield, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – Springfield Public Schools‘ district-wide construction boom is funded by a voter-approved one percent sales tax. “Since 2019, the district has received $77,557,082 in sales tax,” district business manager Steve Miller told the school board Monday. “Currently, the district’s sales tax money is used to pay principal and interest for the bonds sold for capital projects.”

Board vice president Buffy Lael-Wolf Monday said the superintendent search is on schedule. we have conducted initial interviews with superintendent candidates, and we are going to continue to move thoughtfully forward, narrowing down the field to identify the best leader for our district,” she said. “This is a personnel matter, so details will be shared to the community as soon as it is appropriate and feasible to do so.” Superintendent Jennifer Gill is retiring at the end of this school year.

The school board Monday renewed its e-learning plan to submit to the regional superintendent. The state limits districts to five e-learning days per school year, so Gill, appearing on the WTAX Morning Newswatch, said sometimes a snow day – cancelling school altogether – is more appropriate.

“It is hard to describe, even to my own staff that works with me, the amount of time that I spend getting up and driving the roads with a couple of other individuals in the district, and we get on the phone, and we’re up well before four o’clock in the morning on those days to make sure we can make the best decision.”

Safe to say, making the decision of when to have school and when not to will be part of the job Gill will not miss in retirement.