Teachers in Galesburg Community Unit School District 205 in Galesburg, Ill., officially voted on Aug 28 to accept a collective bargaining agreement and end a 15-day teachers’ strike, which caused students to miss 12 days of class. The vote will allow students to return to class on Aug 29 for the first time this school year.
The district serves students and their families through Galesburg High School, Lombard Middle School, Churchill Junior High School, and five elementary schools, along with a pre-kindergarten program, a vocational school, and a special education center. Its nine schools held a little more than 4,900 students in the 2012-13 school year, according to the district report card on file with the Illinois State Board of Education.
Students this year were scheduled to start class on Thursday, Aug 14, but the strike put those plans on hold for about two weeks. Superintendent Bart Arthur considered the strike to be a divisive one, according to WGIL-AM Radio. He said he hopes the community will be able to heal.
The Galesburg High School Silver Streaks football team is scheduled to play its opening night football game against Moline on Aug 29, and the game will go on. “They’ve been practicing, so by the IHSA eligibility they’ll be able to play tomorrow night,” Mr Bart said at a news conference earlier today. “The kids will be in school tomorrow, so we’re going to go with a normal game. Moline’s probably happy to hear that too.”
