Schools, Parks, Youth Activities Discussed at Comprehensive Plan Gathering

Schools, parks and youth activities were chief topics at Thursday's Effingham 2050 Comprehensive Plan discussion.

Unit 40 Superintendent Andy Johnson reflected on the defeat of the one cent sales tax in November, but said the needs are still there. Johnson said he plans to revisit the proposed Grades Pre-K to 2 building that had been discussed during the campaign for the sales tax.

There was also discussion over helping parents prepare their young ones for their school years. One educator present said a child didn't know the difference between a letter and a number. 

Concerning parks and recreation, there was also discussion as to whether the Kluthe Memorial Pool at Evergreen Hollow Park should be replaced, or whether the Park Board should consider a splash pad or some other water recreation.

Lake Land College President Josh Bullock was in attendance. Bullock suggested co-operative ventures to accomplish as many projects as possible.

Activities were also highlighted, including restaurants, hotels and motels, various attractions, the Effingham Performance Center, the TREC Trail, Sculptures on the Avenues and others. The thought put forth last night was that people who don't live here appreciate the attractions here, but local residents might not realize the appeal the Effingham area has to those from outside the area.

Efforts to enhance Village Square Mall were also mentioned. Scott Kabbes of the Square Southtown group is scheduled to speak to the Effingham City Council at Tuesday's meeting about their plans for the mall.

Courtney Yockey of The Effingham County Growth Alliance also mentioned the Effingham Showcase Center as a possibility. The indoor/outdoor complex has been proposed for an area near the Effingham High School sports complex, but an agreement on the project involved funding being in place by the end of 2024. Nothing has been shared about the project since the deadline passed.

There was also discussion about a public transportation system for the community. E-Trax is now in place on weekdays, but some moms in attendance said such a service for use on weekends would be helpful.