LTE 10/30/07 Public Input

[southsidemom]

The enrollment in the Indian Prairie Unit School District 204 is already 1,137 students below the district's projection used to promote the 2006 referendum to build a third high school. High school enrollment alone is 476 students below what they projected for this year. Considering that elementary school enrollment has declined for two years, our total enrollment will peak thousands less than the school district told us.

A jury set the price for the Brach-Brodie land at more than double what the school district budgeted and assured us it would cost. Thankfully, that quick-take never passed.

Then the unsuitable parcels became possibilities, as did some new options. Now the school district wants a new trial for the Brach-Brodie land because it says the first one wasn't fair.

Who knows where a third high school might be built? If we don't get the Brach-Brodie land, it's possible, maybe even likely, that the high school boundaries will change. I can't imagine our community going through that nightmare again, especially when it was the lowest of seven choices on the community survey regarding why the 2005 referendum failed. Ironically, providing more information, the result of better planning, was the highest.

So where does that leave us? Well, the enrollment is not what was projected, the proposed land is twice the price so the location might be different, and then the boundaries may change. It's also probable that the school won't be completed by the date it was promised, it might not be built to meet our expectations, and who knows for sure about the cost. Not exactly a well-planned project.

Maybe after this experience our school district will be more open to input from all of our community, even when - especially when - it is contrary to what they are thinking.

George Vickers

Aurora
+++++

Just think if there had been a Plan B established oh say months ago, hmmmm Do we still have the same legal team fighting this second round???

[southsidemom]

Letters to the Editor - Naperville Sun

October 30, 2007

Time to make sense on land for school

Like many residents of Naperville, my family and I chose to live here primarily because of the great reputation of the schools. With District 204's latest decision to seek another trial to fight for the Brach-Brodie land, I am left feeling betrayed by the school district I once thought was great.
Like many parents in the district, I work hard to support my children's education. I volunteer and support the many fundraisers for our school thinking I'm making a difference.

I feel like a fool. While I'm pedaling products to make pennies for our PTA, the District 204 board has wasted millions of dollars. Now they have decided to keep wasting our money and to start another, new trial. When will it end?

Other land does exist that will accommodate the high school we deserve. It's time to cut our losses and to start making sense.

Becky Barnhart

Naperville

++++

With the lack of a town-hall style meeting, the newspapers are becoming the only forum for residents to air their concerns with one another.

[gatormom]

I have several comments, GV and PW have been writing weekly, sometimes bi-weekly LTEs to several papers for years. Their point of view is not to build Metea anywhere and always has been. So far in each of the letters they have written in the past month or so, they both have said the same thing; enrollment going down, don't build Metea, not needed.

On the other hand, residents can easily voice their concerns by emailing the SB and the superintendent. As well, they opportunity has been available at each and every special school board meeting as well as regular school board meetings to speak. As we all know, GV took that opportunity recently.

I fail to see the purpose of a town hall meeting. All I see are residents complaining about not knowning anything and the district saying, we can't disclose anything due to the nature of negotiations.

[soon2bwvhs]

gatormom said:

I have several comments, GV and PW have been writing weekly, sometimes bi-weekly LTEs to several papers for years. Their point of view is not to build Metea anywhere and always has been. So far in each of the letters they have written in the past month or so, they both have said the same thing; enrollment going down, don't build Metea, not needed.

On the other hand, residents can easily voice their concerns by emailing the SB and the superintendent. As well, they opportunity has been available at each and every special school board meeting as well as regular school board meetings to speak. As we all know, GV took that opportunity recently.

I fail to see the purpose of a town hall meeting. All I see are residents complaining about not knowning anything and the district saying, we can't disclose anything due to the nature of negotiations.

I agree; what would a town hall meeting get us except more yelling and screaming at our neighbors.

This PW person must keep in mind that while she lives in Naperville she brought her house within the limits of a consolidated school district which serves Aurora, Naperville, Bolingbrook and some parts of Plainfield. It's comments like..."I bought my house in Naperville..." that really start to bug me. It assumes that these residents are some how entitled to something better than everyone else.

[Arch]

Didn't GV once say we don't need freshman centers, we really need a 3rd HS...because that had the best opportunity to simply cast a cloud of doubt over the referendum?

At the end of the day, that seems to be the only consistent motive.. not the message but simply to toss out doubts, whether they are true or not, to defeat referendum.

Psst, Newsflash: it passed

[scarbroughknight]

I have to confess that like many #204 residents I am really getting tired of the roller coaster ride and the SBs inability to make a decision. I totally agree with the Becky Barnhart letter in how utterly asinine it would be to begin a new trial. Despite the SBs ineptness they have no problem wasting our dollars and the BB land is not worth more money and more time lost.
Just out of my curiousity for those of you in the know, does GV or these other leading anti school mouthpieces have kids who are affected? If they did they would be singing a different tune no doubt.

[gatormom]

scarbroughknight said:

I have to confess that like many #204 residents I am really getting tired of the roller coaster ride and the SBs inability to make a decision. I totally agree with the Becky Barnhart letter in how utterly asinine it would be to begin a new trial. Despite the SBs ineptness they have no problem wasting our dollars and the BB land is not worth more money and more time lost.
Just out of my curiousity for those of you in the know, does GV or these other leading anti school mouthpieces have kids who are affected? If they did they would be singing a different tune no doubt.

I believe most of them do. Not sure about all of them. They are firm in their convictions, I just happen to disagree with them.

GV actually wrote an LTE this past year for the Beacon that had something in it that was not about the district and I agreed with him, I almost missed it because I only skim his stuff now. It is very repetitive. He has shoved his message in my face for so long, I am not listening anymore.

[momof3]

scarbroughknight said:

I have to confess that like many #204 residents I am really getting tired of the roller coaster ride and the SBs inability to make a decision. I totally agree with the Becky Barnhart letter in how utterly asinine it would be to begin a new trial. Despite the SBs ineptness they have no problem wasting our dollars and the BB land is not worth more money and more time lost.
Just out of my curiousity for those of you in the know, does GV or these other leading anti school mouthpieces have kids who are affected? If they did they would be singing a different tune no doubt.

I have mentally moved on from BB. I thought location-wise it was and still is the best choice, but not the only choice.

eta - If the sb has given up on breaking ground on any property until spring I don't see the harm in keeping BB on the table.