Special meeting called to approve Mark Dallas naming request

DIXON — Dixon Public Schools will place the punctuation mark on a request to honor retired school resource officer Mark Dallas for his actions five years ago.

A special meeting of the board will take place at 6 p.m. Monday at the district’s administrative offices on Franklin Grove Road. On the agenda is a request to designate that section of the street running from Dixon High School to the football field as Honorary Mark Dallas Way.

On May 16, 2018, a 19-year-old with a semiautomatic rifle opened fire at a teacher as 182 DHS seniors gathered nearby in the high school gymnasium for a graduation rehearsal. Dallas pursued the shooter. Shots were exchanged, with Dallas striking the shooter twice.

In July, the criminal case against Matthew A. Milby Jr. was finalized when he was sentenced to 30 years in prison for the attack.

“We will never know what would have happened if Mark had not acted,” Dixon City Council member Chris Bishop said as he read a statement at Monday’s meeting in support of the resolution.

The City Council approved a motion to name a portion of Lincoln Statue Drive that is in front of the high school after Dallas.

When the naming request was originally proposed months ago to the board of education by former police officer and former school board member Brad Sibley, the gym concourse was suggested. During the discussion, the road outside the school seemed a more fitting designation.

But Dallas, after hearing that his name might replace that of Lincoln, demurred. He asked Sibley to convey his wishes, saying: “Lincoln is my favorite president.”

At that point, the board suggested a compromise, making the street name honorary. It was then left to the city to make it official. The hope was the council and the district could act swiftly — as they have done — so the process would be complete in time for a ceremony May 30. That’s the date set by former Gov. Bruce Rauner in 2018 as “Officer Mark Dallas Day.”

The board has another item on agenda: approve a change of a stipend amount for a differential position per the contract with the teachers’ union.