The Winter Break hiatus brought little change regarding a possible third referendum. However, the school board continues to make a concerted effort to ensure its visibility on the April ballot.

Superintendent Brian Ali and other school board members currently are attending all schools within District 428 to see how the school’s respective faculty convey the need for a third referendum.

Ali specified that the faculty is not simply principals, but teachers, secretaries and custodians.

“Staff at all these meetings are overwhelmingly positive,” Ali said. “They’re the ones closest to the issue. It’s very important we listen to them.”

Currently, the school board has a few more schools to meet with, but would meet with them no later than Jan. 21.

A survey conducted of about 100 school district employees has been released to the school board. Ali emphasized that those results are to remain confidential as a sort of closed-doors method for having the two sides reach a consensus on the needs and wants of the school via a new school referendum.

Tom Matya, a special committee member who’s been involved with the recent referendums, said the committee met in a similar approach to discuss its viewpoints on a third referendum attempt.

“We decided to go ahead with the plan again, but wanted to make sure school board, administrators and teachers were all on the same page,” Matya said. “I didn’t think that was so much the case last time.”

Matya confirmed Ali’s statement that feedback has thus far been favorable. Matya said some of the committee members, and others who want to be involved, would help inform and spread the word about the referendum should it be placed on the ballot.

“We’ll make whatever necessary tweaks need to be made,” Matya said. “And roll up our sleeves and go at it again.”

The 7 p.m., Jan. 21, meeting at the Education Center, 901 S. Fourth St., would be designated as the school board’s opportunity to determine if a third referendum attempt should take place and be placed on the April 1 ballot.