Dear Channahon 17 Families,

N.B. Galloway School opened in 1976, which means NBG is celebrating 50 exceptional years of education. For half a century, this building has been a very special place for countless students and staff. This anniversary is a chance to honor the legacy of Galloway School, as well as the man whose name is on the front door.

Isaac Newton famously said, “If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants.” The excellent education provided at NBG and in Channahon 17 is possible only because of our own local “giants,” and Mr. Norval B. Galloway Jr. was one of them. Mr. Galloway was born in Streator, Illinois, in 1921. He served honorably in the Army during World War II, and then turned his sights toward a career in education. He went on to earn his degree from Northern Illinois University (1949) and later his master’s degree, also from NIU (1962). He also managed the NIU baseball, football, and basketball programs.

In 1954, Mr. Galloway was appointed superintendent of Channahon School District 17, a post he held until his retirement in 1983. He coached basketball in his early years in the district and had a lifelong love of sports. He was also widely known for the relationships he built across the Channahon team, work that culminated in the construction and dedication of Norval B. Galloway Jr. Grade School in 1976.

Those relationships extended to leadership. Mr. Galloway and the Board of Education asked a beloved principal, Mrs. Joan Ferguson - another giant in our community - to lead the school at its opening. She served alongside Mr. Galloway with great success. After her retirement, she went on to serve on the Board of Education until 2018, carrying on their shared vision for education in Channahon 17. In that role, Mrs. Ferguson shared this vision directly with many of us who had the honor of working with her. Even now, our school leaders and educators continue the tradition of excellence set by Mr. Galloway and Mrs. Ferguson.

Although Norval Galloway passed away in 2015 at the age of 94, he will not soon be forgotten. The school that bears his name, and the wonderful faculty and staff who serve in our PK–2 building, carry on the legacy that Mr. Galloway, Mrs. Ferguson, and their colleagues first established when they made the school an exceptional place to learn.

Looking ahead, the next 50 years will be written by the children who walk those halls today. Our charge is to preserve that foundation and build on it, so the students of N.B. Galloway are ready for every phase of life. In the coming weeks, Galloway School will celebrate its 50th anniversary in a variety of ways, including school signs, newsletters, and even a visit from former CSD17 graduate and local children’s author, Tiege Dooley-Panko, who will share her book The Fry Who Fell in the Aioli with our students.  

On behalf of N.B. Galloway School Principal Dacia Cobarrubias, and Early Learning Administrator Katey Perry, thank you for being part of our story in Channahon 17!

Yours in education,

Dr. Nicholas Henkle

Superintendent, Channahon School District