A group of concerned parents met late last Friday evening to discuss some changes that were happening at a local private school. Visionway Christian School in Taylorville who is run by Taylorville Christian Church made headlines earlier this year when they were put on probation by ISBE for not wearing masks. The probation has since been ended and Visionway has been taken off the probation list. However, on Wednesday, November 10th, the church voted on dissolving the board of directors and school administrator, Glenna Tolliver. 

Parents expressed outrage over what they saw as an authoritarian grab. Many parents gathered at Charro in Taylorville on Friday evening, but there were too many people present, so the meeting was moved over to the Manners Park Dining Hall. Nearly 100 parents showed up. Liz Wemple, a parent for a student at Visionway expressed her concern over the move and was proud of the support of all of the parents who showed up.

School board members that were at the meeting spoke out about the dissolved board saying that it wasn’t about a mask mandate or a vaccine mandate. It was about parents being able to make a choice.  

The meeting lasted about an hour with parents speaking in solidarity over what many saw as too much power. On Saturday, a group of members reached out to other church members in order to file a petition to bring a collective grievance to the church body to show their sadness and concern over the recent actions at Visionway. 

On Sunday at their weekly Church services, the Church Elders announced that the school board had been reinstated and will continue to lead the school. The school board has said they will find a new administrator in the next few months. All previous school board members have been reported that they have returned to their original positions.  Dick Wamsley is currently filling in as the new administrator. The board has said they will be looking for a permanent administrator in the future. Both the school and the church are working on healing.

Pastor James Jones of Taylorville Christian Church released a statement saying that the goal is to work towards a better future. 

School board member, Stacey Funderburk agreed with Pastor Jones, and stressed that it is about the students. 

Pastor Jones says that through this he hopes that everyone can come together and make things right.

Many parents have reached out to Regional Radio News to voice their support of the many teachers and staff who work hard for their students. 

Both Visionway and Taylorville Christian Church have expressed their need to openly communicate better and work towards the betterment of the children in the school.