GRANITE CITY, Ill. – For a third time, people in Madison County have failed to pass a sales tax hike that would have helped fund public schools.
In Tuesday’s primary, 65 percent of people voted no.
If it had passed, sales tax countywide would go up one penny per every dollar, generating $23.4 million for schools.
District 9 Superintendent Jim Greenwald said Illinois’ budget woes have already caused schools to cut back.
At the middle school, they had to cut six teachers and some extracurricular activities.
The sales tax hike would have meant an additional $3.6 million a year for the Granite City School District, according to Greenwald.
Greenwald said that money could have gone to building upgrades which are greatly needed.
“We have buildings that are 60 to 75 years old. Those are high ticket maintenance items,” he said.
The money also would have helped fund a new media center for the library and helped upgrade technology.
“We’re not in a position to do that right now. Our plan B will be to do the very best with what we currently have,” he said.
Several parents we spoke to in Granite City said they weren’t aware of the referendum.
Sherrita Barnes is a mother of three. She said if she had known about it, she would have gone out and voted yes.
Business owners we spoke to said they voted no because they were worried it would hurt their business.
