Honor for Dixon school resource officer from 2018 school shooting made with gratitude and appreciation

DIXON — With an honorary designation of a street, Dixon Public Schools recognized former school resource officer Mark Dallas for acting quickly to end a 2018 school shooting without a loss of life.

But there’s really more to the resolution than that.

The district’s naming process – which was enacted this school year – not only worked, but the result can be a reassuring balm for the hundreds who were deeply affected by events that day, Board President Linda Wegner said.

“In this one, though, there’s more than just policy. There’s a lot of emotion wrapped up in this one,” Wegner said after Monday’s meeting, when the board voted 6-0 to designate the street outside Dixon High School as Honorary Mark Dallas Way.

“I think that the people that were there that day and experienced that needed some closure,” Wegner said. “We haven’t done anything publicly like this that will last, and this will be out there. I think it’s a great idea.”

During a special board meeting, the board designated a short stretch of street outside Dixon High School as Honorary Mark Dallas Way. Also in keeping with Dallas’ request, the actual street name — Lincoln Statue Drive — will remain.

“I think that the people that were there that day and experienced that, needed some closure. ... We haven’t done anything publicly like this that will last, and this will be out there. I think it’s a great idea.”

—  Linda Wegner, board of education president for Dixon Public Schools

On May 16, 2018, a 19-year-old with a rifle opened fire and was headed to a gymnasium filled with 182 students rehearsing for graduation. Dallas pursued the shooter outside and was shot at. Dallas then returned fire, striking the shooter twice.

The shooter, Matthew A. Milby Jr., was sentenced to 30 years in prison. The trial was resolved last year.

The resolution passed by the board of education was “to publicly and forever express deep gratitude and appreciation of the students, staff and members of the board of education” for Dallas’ actions.

The naming request started when former school board member and police officer Brad Sibley requested a visible honor for Dallas on April 19. In that original request, Sibley wrote: “Many in the community, myself included, would say that through some type of divine intervention, Officer Dallas was the right person, in the right place at the absolute right time.”

The Dixon City Council voted May 15 to put the honorary designation on a section of Lincoln Statue Drive. It was left to the school board to complete the process, according to its naming policy.

Both the school district and city acted swiftly on the request so that a ceremony can be arranged for May 30 — five years after then-Gov. Bruce Rauner designated the day for Dallas.

Dallas did not attend the meeting. The resolution asks Superintendent Margo Empen to organize and schedule the commemoration.

Empen said during the discussion portion of the meeting that honorary signs usually are placed above or hang below the existing street name.

As a point of clarification, Wegner wanted to make sure that the portion of the curve that encircles the stadium would remain Chuck Vail Drive. Empen replied that it would.

The Dallas naming request is the second time this school year the district has been asked to honor someone on school property. In the previous instance, the board approved naming the court at Lancaster Gymnasium after former athletics director and coach Lyle Bogott.

[ Naming request made of Dixon Public Schools. ]

[ Dixon City Council makes initial approval for city street designation for Mark Dallas ]