The Proposal

On Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, Adams County voters will decide whether to approve a one-cent county school facilities sales tax.

 

The tax would add one cent to every dollar spent on qualifying retail purchases in Adams County. It is one countywide tax, not one cent for each school district.
Revenue would be distributed among public school districts based on the number of resident students each district serves.

58 Illinois counties have the sales tax in place including Galesburg, Rock Island, Moline and Jacksonville.

The needs facing Quincy Schools do not disappear if they are delayed

  • Building systems continue to age, and needed repairs can become more expensive.
  • Student academic, behavioral and mental health needs continue.
  • Each year QPS struggles to compete for teachers and staff makes open positions harder to fill.
  • The district’s five-year financial plan shows the budget falling out of balance in 2028-29, with the gap widening after that.

What the revenue can legally fund:

  • School building repairs, renovations, additions and new facilities
  • Roofs, windows, plumbing, electrical, heating and cooling systems
  • Safety and security improvements
  • Career and technical education spaces and equipment
  • School resource officers and mental health professionals
  • Eligible building bonds and facility costs
“Shall A Retailer’s Occupation Tax And A Service Occupation Tax (commonly Referred To As A ‘sales Tax’) Be Imposed In Adams County, Illinois, At A Rate Of 1% To Be Used Exclusively For School Facility Purposes,

QPS is balancing the needs of students and staff with more than 1.2 million square feet of school buildings to maintain.

Teachers and staff

More than 50 positions went unfilled last year, nine employees resigned during the year and the applicant pool continues to shrink.

Students

Academic, behavioral and mental health needs continue to grow, while shortages in special education and other specialties limit local services.

Programs

Space and funding limit career and technical education, and some student programs depend on grants that may not last.

Buildings

Roofs, windows, plumbing, electrical, heating and cooling and safety systems continue to age, especially at the junior high school and high school.

2
One-Cent County School Facilities Sales Tax

Step 1: How it works

If approved, sales tax revenue could pay for eligible school buildings, safety and security, school resource officers and mental health professionals.

QPS currently pays more than $2 million each year for mental health professionals from the Education Fund, the same fund that pays teachers and staff.

Because mental health professionals are an eligible use, sales tax revenue could cover those costs instead. That would leave more Education Fund dollars available for teachers, staff and other school needs.

1
Step 2 would require another vote

Step 2: Property Tax Transfer

Today, property tax dollars help pay the district’s school building costs. If sales tax revenue covered those costs instead, voters could later be asked whether those existing property tax dollars should go to the Education Fund.

 

The same property tax rate would be divided differently, with less going toward building payments and more going toward teachers, staff, instructional materials and other day-to-day school needs. 

If the sales tax is approved, the property tax transfer would go on a future ballot.

Approving Step 1 does not approve Step 2. Each requires a separate vote, and the district’s overall property tax rate would remain the same.