MV Debut

[doctorwho]

Some agreed the turmoil helped make Sunday's unveiling more satisfying.

"For many people, that's very accurate," said Metea Principal Jim Schmid.
The main reason I avoided yesterday - yep- the northern Taj Mahal is open and some got their way- regardless of anything else from cost to # of students to location so far away from 30%+ of it's students. Enjoy.

Have your celebration - we're all going to pay the price big time very shortly tax wise


Metea open house draws curious community
By Marco Santana | Daily Herald 10/05/09

www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=326423&src=76


Metea Valley High School Vocal Jazz members, from left, !An open house at Metea Valley High School in Aurora gave parents and community members an opportunity to see just what $124 million will buy a school district.

And upon first review, many seemed to like what they saw.

"It's a beautiful school," Aurora parent Richard Irvin said after a 35-minute dedication ceremony, which filled the east bleachers in the school's gymnasium. "And it's much-needed because of the crowding the current high schools have been experiencing."

The new school in Indian Prairie School District 204 is home to roughly 1,300 freshmen and sophomores, with the first class set to graduate in 2012. The school year began Aug. 20, but Sunday's open house allowed the community to take self-guided building tours and talk with school administrators on hand.

District 204 Superintendent Kathryn Birkett said the building will benefit every student in the district because it will alleviate those crowding concerns.

"It's helping us provide a quality education for all high school students," she said. "Everyone had a vision. This was a vision realized."

Birkett said she was also pleased to see the community's interest in the new school, with a crowd of about 300 filling the available seats and spilling out of the gym.

"You can't do anything like this without community support," Birkett said. "I never take that for granted."

Metea traveled a somewhat bumpy road after voters approved a tax increase in spring 2006 for its construction. A land dispute forced the district to scrap its initial location plan off Route 59, near 75th Street and Commons Drive. Angry parents filed a lawsuit that didn't get settled until after construction began in May 2008.

In the lawsuit, parents aimed at preventing building anywhere but the Route 59 site as that was the location on the referendum. The judge tossed out the lawsuit last summer.

Some agreed the turmoil helped make Sunday's unveiling more satisfying.

"For many people, that's very accurate," said Metea Principal Jim Schmid. "There were so many different emotions. All were part of a big decision."

But during Sunday's celebration, he added that tension was a thing of the past.

"The whole community had to make difficult decisions," said Schmid. "But we're trying to do the best we can for the community."

Schmid said the other two high schools in the district, Waubonsie Valley and Neuqua Valley, held roughly 8,100 students combined. And within a few years, he expects Metea Valley to serve about 2,600 students.

[doctorwho]

They left out shiny ?

Compliments fill spacious Metea Valley at open house
Hundreds attend dedication of new high school

October 5, 2009

By R.L. ANDERSON For The Sun
Producers of the next big-budget movie would envy the critical acclaim given the new Metea Valley High School.

"Beautiful." "Wonderful." "Awesome." Those were among the more common accolades voiced by parents and students who attended Sunday's dedication program and open house.

Some visitors sounded like architecture critics, commenting on the "great spaciousness" and "attractiveness" of the new school, located on 84 acres at 1801 N. Eola Road, which opened Aug. 20 for 1,250 freshmen and sophomores.

It was the first phase of the newest Indian Prairie School District 204 school that generated such rave reviews. Several hundred people walked the halls and visited the classrooms of the initial 280,000 square feet of finished space.

Phase II is on schedule for completion in January 2010, which will add an auditorium, pool, music areas, and classrooms for future juniors and seniors. The total project will cost $124.6 million. Metea will have a capacity of 3,000 students.

Presiding at the dedication program in the Metea gymnasium was Principal James Schmid. Formerly principal at Waubonsie Valley High School, he was named principal of Matea in February 2008. Schmid said his dedication message was about the community.

"It's attitude, it's commitment to the community," Schmid said. "I think it's about collaboration, working together. And it's about another really outstanding high school in District 204. I think it's just an incredible opportunity for young people to have a chance to do the things they love to do on a daily basis."

Since the doors opened to students, Schmid said, "Things have gone about as well as it could have. I'm thankful to the faculty and staff; they have been just amazing. Certainly, community support has been outstanding. The students themselves have really welcomed this opportunity to indulge in a new building, and it's been really, really good."

Darcy Hutzler, director of guidance, likes the exposure her department has to the students. The guidance offices are located close to a large section of student lockers.

"It's great," Hutzler said. "We're all new to this building, so we're easy for students to find if they need our assistance."

Social worker Kevin Wynard said students have "a general enthusiasm for the new building."

"Students have a passion for making it right," Wynard said. "They realize they are establishing new traditions at a school that will be there for years to come."

Wynard cited the weeklong Spirit Week that culminated in the dedication program but also included the Fall Festival Dance, which will become the annual homecoming starting next year, and the school's first pep rally.

Jennifer Rowe, dean of freshmen, said, "They are defining what it means to be a Mustang," a reference to the school's mascot.

There's evidence the current freshman and sophomore classes take seriously their historic roles at Metea. The sophomore class will be the first to graduate from Metea in 2012, and one year later the present freshmen class will be the first graduating group to have attended Metea for all four years of their high school careers.

"They are helping to define the culture and climate of the school," Rowe said.

Two members of the Metea Valley High School Symphonic Strings, a group that performed at the dedication program, provided a student perspective.

"It's a great school; there are many opportunities here," said Sean Fisher, a freshman cellist from Naperville Township.

"It's easy to get around," said another freshman, 15-year-old Jenna Davies of Aurora. "The school has that contemporary feel to it."

As for the historic role her class will have in Metea's future, Davies added, "Someday, future students will look back at us and what we did when the school opened. How cool is that?"

Parents were equally enthusiastic about the new school.

Gary and Linda Chew of Naperville have a son, Gregory, who will be a freshman at Matea next year.

"Architecturally, the amount of light, the spaciousness, is impressive," said Gary Chew.

"It looks pretty impressive -- it's huge," added Linda Chew. "We're also pleased that the teachers have taught elsewhere in the district. It isn't just a group of all brand-new teachers."

Lori Price of Aurora was also struck by the school's architecture.

"It's beautiful. I love the open space, the light that is here. It's like nothing I've ever been to before," Price said. "Being in such a large district, we need the space this school provides."

Price's 9-year old daughter, Katie, is a fourth-grade student destined to attend Metea one day.

"It's very nice. I like the courtyard -- it has open space," Katie said. "The mural of the mustangs on the gym wall is very nice, too."

The combination of district officials, Metea faculty and staff, parents and students at the open house was symbolic of how the new school was created, according to Schmid.

"The support we've received from so many people is the part I'll never forget," Schmid said.

For Schmid to be involved in the long process to get Metea built and open is an opportunity that most high school principals never experience.

"I didn't have any experience in doing that," Schmid said. "Some significant mentors in my life told me to strongly consider doing this -- it's something most principals never get to experience. You get to pick your staff, you get to create everything from scratch. It's really been a lot of fun and a great challenge."

[macrockett]

and expensive, unnecessary, wasteful, a drag on the District's finances, white...er yellow? elephant, shrine to a few, monument to one...

[slp]

I admit to being a bit bitter...The least they could do was publically thank '204thekids' for working their asses off to pass the referendum!

hmmmm , wonder why they don't mention that??

[Arch]

Maybe the Sun can do an interview with the members and see what they have to say about it all then and now.

[doctorwho]

Oct 5, 2009 14:43:52 GMT -6 slp said:

I admit to being a bit bitter...The least they could do was publically thank '204thekids' for working their asses off to pass the referendum!

hmmmm , wonder why they don't mention that??

likely because there are more than a few 204tk members who woke up to see thru the ruse before it was too late- but no one listened to us any more..........

they sure as heck don't want anyone talking to us

[doctorwho]

Oct 5, 2009 14:57:29 GMT -6 Arch said:

Maybe the Sun can do an interview with the members and see what they have to say about it all then and now.

yep- come and talk to the foot soldiers - writers - speakers who put in countless hours .....
start in Watts area... I'll supply some names

[rew]

Oct 5, 2009 12:33:03 GMT -6 doctorwho said:

Metea open house draws curious community
By Marco Santana | Daily Herald 10/05/09

www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=326423&src=76


Metea traveled a somewhat bumpy road after voters approved a tax increase in spring 2006 for its construction. A land dispute forced the district to scrap its initial location plan off Route 59, near 75th Street and Commons Drive. Angry parents filed a lawsuit that didn't get settled until after construction began in May 2008.

Is that what they're calling it now a "land dispute" that "forced" the district...

I did not see the district forced to a different property. And the district said it could pay up to $600K an acre before the condemnation suit went forward. It seems to me the district "changed it's mind", "decided to go in a different direction", "had taxpayer's money, so no longer cared what the community had voted on" etc.

[casey]

Good catch, rew. You are right. There's no way that it should be referred to as a land dispute - that's a big misnomer. The spin in our District is unbelievable.

[doctorwho]

Oct 5, 2009 18:52:38 GMT -6 casey said:

Good catch, rew. You are right. There's no way that it should be referred to as a land dispute - that's a big misnomer. The spin in our District is unbelievable.

they no longer need their PR guy- they get the papers to print exactly the terminology they want.

[Arch]

Remember, the PR was really Business Development. I'm curious what business developed. Monkey Business, unfortunately, was a pre-existing condition.

[slp]

Oct 5, 2009 16:59:42 GMT -6 doctorwho said:

Oct 5, 2009 14:43:52 GMT -6 slp said:

I admit to being a bit bitter...The least they could do was publically thank '204thekids' for working their asses off to pass the referendum!

hmmmm , wonder why they don't mention that??

likely because there are more than a few 204tk members who woke up to see thru the ruse before it was too late- but no one listened to us any more..........

they sure as heck don't want anyone talking to us

ya think?

[slp]

Oct 5, 2009 17:43:11 GMT -6 rew said:

Oct 5, 2009 12:33:03 GMT -6 doctorwho said:

Metea open house draws curious community
By Marco Santana | Daily Herald 10/05/09

www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=326423&src=76


Metea traveled a somewhat bumpy road after voters approved a tax increase in spring 2006 for its construction. A land dispute forced the district to scrap its initial location plan off Route 59, near 75th Street and Commons Drive. Angry parents filed a lawsuit that didn't get settled until after construction began in May 2008.

Is that what they're calling it now a "land dispute" that "forced" the district...

I did not see the district forced to a different property. And the district said it could pay up to $600K an acre before the condemnation suit went forward. It seems to me the district "changed it's mind", "decided to go in a different direction", "had taxpayer's money, so no longer cared what the community had voted on" etc.

you are exactly right!

Now we hear that the district has a $9.5 million deficit. Are you kidding me?!

Couldn't that deficit have been avoided by NOT paying to expedite Metea at the Eola location? That extra time could have allowed the district to do the right thing and allow taxpayers to re-cast their vote on the referendum based on the new location.

Now, they are going to ask for more money from taxpayers in the near future.

Fool me once, shame on you.
Fool me twice, shame on me. It won't happen.

[doctorwho]

Oct 6, 2009 8:24:36 GMT -6 slp said:

Oct 5, 2009 17:43:11 GMT -6 rew said:

Is that what they're calling it now a "land dispute" that "forced" the district...

I did not see the district forced to a different property. And the district said it could pay up to $600K an acre before the condemnation suit went forward. It seems to me the district "changed it's mind", "decided to go in a different direction", "had taxpayer's money, so no longer cared what the community had voted on" etc.

you are exactly right!

Now we hear that the district has a $9.5 million deficit. Are you kidding me?!

Couldn't that deficit have been avoided by NOT paying to expedite Metea at the Eola location? That extra time could have allowed the district to do the right thing and allow taxpayers to re-cast their vote on the referendum based on the new location.

Now, they are going to ask for more money from taxpayers in the near future.

Fool me once, shame on you.
Fool me twice, shame on me. It won't happen.

you may want to draw that link right to the expedite costs ( which have never been acknowledged to anyone - on what the reason was for that other than inflated overcrowding claims) -

by the districts own docs dated 12/17/08 there was a budget shortfall of $3.5M predicted for FY 2010 ( we are now at $9.5 and counting )
2011 another $12,4M
2012 anothr $15.7M
2013 $18.8M
2014 $21.9M

thats over $80M total ( and remember this years deficit is already 3x what they thought- and property values continuing to drop) - and remember in 2014 as it is we get hammered with the tax increase associated to MVHS....

How's that decision to build look now ? Get ready to dig deep folks.
they were NEVER going to let it go back to vote because they knew the outcome of that..

remember there was one SB candidate who had charts on the looming deficit at each event - and his figures were blown off by the cheer squad as nonsense - 'budget will be balanced'-- "look at our bond rating- can't be true".

WELL ?[/color]


and for those candidates who actually were listening for a while- then decided to move forward..what do you think now ?

[refbasics]

Oct 5, 2009 12:41:01 GMT -6 doctorwho said:

They left out shiny ?

Compliments fill spacious Metea Valley at open house
Hundreds attend dedication of new high school

October 5, 2009

By R.L. ANDERSON For The Sun
Producers of the next big-budget movie would envy the critical acclaim given the new Metea Valley High School.

"Beautiful." "Wonderful." "Awesome." Those were among the more common accolades voiced by parents and students who attended Sunday's dedication program and open house.

Some visitors sounded like architecture critics, commenting on the "great spaciousness" and "attractiveness" of the new school, located on 84 acres at 1801 N. Eola Road, which opened Aug. 20 for 1,250 freshmen and sophomores.

It was the first phase of the newest Indian Prairie School District 204 school that generated such rave reviews. Several hundred people walked the halls and visited the classrooms of the initial 280,000 square feet of finished space.

Phase II is on schedule for completion in January 2010, which will add an auditorium, pool, music areas, and classrooms for future juniors and seniors. The total project will cost $124.6 million. Metea will have a capacity of 3,000 students.

Presiding at the dedication program in the Metea gymnasium was Principal James Schmid. Formerly principal at Waubonsie Valley High School, he was named principal of Matea in February 2008. Schmid said his dedication message was about the community.

"It's attitude, it's commitment to the community," Schmid said. "I think it's about collaboration, working together. And it's about another really outstanding high school in District 204. I think it's just an incredible opportunity for young people to have a chance to do the things they love to do on a daily basis."

Since the doors opened to students, Schmid said, "Things have gone about as well as it could have. I'm thankful to the faculty and staff; they have been just amazing. Certainly, community support has been outstanding. The students themselves have really welcomed this opportunity to indulge in a new building, and it's been really, really good."

Darcy Hutzler, director of guidance, likes the exposure her department has to the students. The guidance offices are located close to a large section of student lockers.

"It's great," Hutzler said. "We're all new to this building, so we're easy for students to find if they need our assistance."

Social worker Kevin Wynard said students have "a general enthusiasm for the new building."

"Students have a passion for making it right," Wynard said. "They realize they are establishing new traditions at a school that will be there for years to come."

Wynard cited the weeklong Spirit Week that culminated in the dedication program but also included the Fall Festival Dance, which will become the annual homecoming starting next year, and the school's first pep rally.

Jennifer Rowe, dean of freshmen, said, "They are defining what it means to be a Mustang," a reference to the school's mascot.

There's evidence the current freshman and sophomore classes take seriously their historic roles at Metea. The sophomore class will be the first to graduate from Metea in 2012, and one year later the present freshmen class will be the first graduating group to have attended Metea for all four years of their high school careers.

"They are helping to define the culture and climate of the school," Rowe said.

what 'culture' would that be? i remember back 3 years ago when the SD told us that both hi schools (NV & WV) were the exactly the same.. what is this stuff about 'school culture'?

Two members of the Metea Valley High School Symphonic Strings, a group that performed at the dedication program, provided a student perspective.

"It's a great school; there are many opportunities here," said Sean Fisher, a freshman cellist from Naperville Township.

"It's easy to get around," said another freshman, 15-year-old Jenna Davies of Aurora. "The school has that contemporary feel to it."

As for the historic role her class will have in Metea's future, Davies added, "Someday, future students will look back at us and what we did when the school opened. How cool is that?"

Parents were equally enthusiastic about the new school.

Gary and Linda Chew of Naperville have a son, Gregory, who will be a freshman at Matea next year.

"Architecturally, the amount of light, the spaciousness, is impressive," said Gary Chew.

"It looks pretty impressive -- it's huge," added Linda Chew. "We're also pleased that the teachers have taught elsewhere in the district. It isn't just a group of all brand-new teachers."

Lori Price of Aurora was also struck by the school's architecture.

"It's beautiful. I love the open space, the light that is here. It's like nothing I've ever been to before," Price said. "Being in such a large district, we need the space this school provides."

if people 'say' this enough, maybe the rest of us 'lunkheads' will get it that we needed an entire new hi school for our student population problem?

Price's 9-year old daughter, Katie, is a fourth-grade student destined to attend Metea one day.

"It's very nice. I like the courtyard -- it has open space," Katie said. "The mural of the mustangs on the gym wall is very nice, too."

The combination of district officials, Metea faculty and staff, parents and students at the open house was symbolic of how the new school was created, according to Schmid.

"The support we've received from so many people is the part I'll never forget," Schmid said.

For Schmid to be involved in the long process to get Metea built and open is an opportunity that most high school principals never experience.

"I didn't have any experience in doing that," Schmid said. "Some significant mentors in my life told me to strongly consider doing this -- it's something most principals never get to experience. You get to pick your staff, you get to create everything from scratch. It's really been a lot of fun and a great challenge."