LTE 1/4/08 - Naperville Sun

[we4]

www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/opinions/letters/725480,6_4_NA04_LETTERS_S1.article

No need for space in School District 204

Much of District 204 is waiting with bated breath to find out if the rumors of a northern site for the location of a third high school are true.
District 204 taxpayers were first told that a third high school was needed approximately three years ago. Since then we've had two referendums on the issue and one failed condemnation lawsuit for the Brach-Brodie land on which the high school was to be built.

During this time we've heard continuously how crowded the middle schools and high schools are and that we need to alleviate the overcrowding. However, other than two portable classrooms at Scullen Middle School, no interim steps have been taken to ease the overcrowding.

If there is districtwide overcrowding that warrants a $140 million high school, why have there been no efforts made to deal with the current situation? Do the current students not deserve less crowded classrooms as much as the students who will supposedly benefit from the space created by a third high school?

The district is in good shape financially and can afford temporary measures. The inconvenient truth of District 204 is that enrollment has peaked, is on the decline and there is no need for additional space.

Lisa Ohlhausen

Naperville

[wvhsparent]

She is from Knoch Knolls Subdiv.
Pretty much unaffected by the placement of the new HS unless it is placed SE.
Is CFO seeing a weakness and trying to strike?

[we4]

Will a LTE from Mr White be next?

[slp]

I say again.... I am continually disappointed with our local papers for printing editorials from the SAME individuals over and over again! I would be interested in knowing how many other submissions by persons who have never had their LTE printed were overlooked in favor of printing yet another editorial from White's, Vickers', or Ohlhausen's .

Can I write a LTE about the LTE? hmmm

[bob]

Yes, you can.

The inconvenient truth of District 204 is that enrollment has peaked, is on the decline and there is no need for additional space.

Another lie.

[d204mom]

wvhsparent said:

Is CFO seeing a weakness and trying to strike?

I would have to say absolutely, yes. If they came forth with a workable plan right now to put additions on both high schools and keep the boundaries as they are today, I think they would have several bandwagons full of support.

Parting local leader urges 'demand more'
Officials hit with farewell criticism
December 14, 2007
By Tim Waldorf Staff writer

The situation is the same in District 204, Skarr added.

"I think they are rightfully, in my opinion, being criticized for a very poorly managed land acquisition plan, and now, unfortunately, we're revisiting the whole issue of 'Do we really need a third high school? Where should it go? Do we need to adjust school boundaries?'" he said. "That is not exactly creating a warm and fuzzy feeling that we've got the best possible governance in place, and I find that troubling."

[d204mom]

CFO doesn't even have to create any FUD. The school board is doing that all by themselves.

[wvhsparent]

d204mom said:

CFO doesn't even have to create any FUD. The school board is doing that all by themselves.

I would have to agree with you here.......

[EagleDad]

bob said:

The inconvenient truth of District 204 is that enrollment has peaked, is on the decline and there is no need for additional space.

Another lie.

Yeah, but if you say it enough times it might make it true, right?

For those new to this board or who are not familiar with the history, Lisa Ohlhausen was a major Citizens For Options (the anti-referndum group in all elections) supporter and organizer. She was the CFO webmaster. She signed Steve Calcaterra's campaign petition which was collected by Paul White.

Lisa was the official spokeswoman of CFO during the 2006 referendum. She was quoted in many newspaper articles speaking for CFO and speaking against the referendum and the 3rd high school. Here are a few examples:
www.studentsfirst.us/printer/article.asp?c=175773
"We're not asking the taxpayers to go into a huge amount of debt for a short-term problem," spokeswoman Lisa Ohlhausen said. "If we don't need the space, we don't need to spend the money."
www.studentsfirst.us/printer/article.asp?c=176178
"CFO has provided the state board of elections with a full disclosure of all expenditures and donations and is in full compliance with the election laws," CFO spokeswoman Lisa Ohlhausen read from a statement.
Her husband wrote a Letter to the Editor of the Naperville Sun in 2005 titled "Tax hike vote research would be waste of money".

Just thought you should have the context of the latest LTE.

[slp]

d204mom said:

wvhsparent said:

Is CFO seeing a weakness and trying to strike?

I would have to say absolutely, yes. If they came forth with a workable plan right now to put additions on both high schools and keep the boundaries as they are today, I think they would have several bandwagons full of support.

Parting local leader urges 'demand more'
Officials hit with farewell criticism
December 14, 2007
By Tim Waldorf Staff writer

The situation is the same in District 204, Skarr added.

"I think they are rightfully, in my opinion, being criticized for a very poorly managed land acquisition plan, and now, unfortunately, we're revisiting the whole issue of 'Do we really need a third high school? Where should it go? Do we need to adjust school boundaries?'" he said. "That is not exactly creating a warm and fuzzy feeling that we've got the best possible governance in place, and I find that troubling."

I would have to agree with your comment about the additions...I have heard many neighbors state their frustration with the current situation and state, "then just forget about building a high school and add to the current schools" There is a sense of "we've had enough of this" and " lets move on".

[warriorpride]

eagledad said:

bob said:

Another lie.

Yeah, but if you say it enough times it might make it true, right?

For those new to this board or who are not familiar with the history, Lisa Ohlhausen was a major Citizens For Options (the anti-referndum group in all elections) supporter and organizer. She was the CFO webmaster. She signed Steve Calcaterra's campaign petition which was collected by Paul White.

Lisa was the official spokeswoman of CFO during the 2006 referendum. She was quoted in many newspaper articles speaking for CFO and speaking against the referendum and the 3rd high school. Here are a few examples:
www.studentsfirst.us/printer/article.asp?c=175773
"We're not asking the taxpayers to go into a huge amount of debt for a short-term problem," spokeswoman Lisa Ohlhausen said. "If we don't need the space, we don't need to spend the money."
www.studentsfirst.us/printer/article.asp?c=176178
"CFO has provided the state board of elections with a full disclosure of all expenditures and donations and is in full compliance with the election laws," CFO spokeswoman Lisa Ohlhausen read from a statement.
Her husband wrote a Letter to the Editor of the Naperville Sun in 2005 titled "Tax hike vote research would be waste of money".

Just thought you should have the context of the latest LTE.

thanks Ed - might it be worth trying to pull together the LTEs from the 4-5-6 CFO folks that have written numerous letters? That way, instead of trying to dig them up, we'll just have them here, for reference. Maybe one thread per person - and we can see the flip-flops over time, too!

[d204mom]

slp said:

d204mom said:

I would have to say absolutely, yes. If they came forth with a workable plan right now to put additions on both high schools and keep the boundaries as they are today, I think they would have several bandwagons full of support.

Parting local leader urges 'demand more'
Officials hit with farewell criticism
December 14, 2007
By Tim Waldorf Staff writer

The situation is the same in District 204, Skarr added.

"I think they are rightfully, in my opinion, being criticized for a very poorly managed land acquisition plan, and now, unfortunately, we're revisiting the whole issue of 'Do we really need a third high school? Where should it go? Do we need to adjust school boundaries?'" he said. "That is not exactly creating a warm and fuzzy feeling that we've got the best possible governance in place, and I find that troubling."

I would have to agree with your comment about the additions...I have heard many neighbors state their frustration with the current situation and state, "then just forget about building a high school and add to the current schools" There is a sense of "we've had enough of this" and " lets move on".

Yes, I see it as a reaction of frustration with inaction instead of thinking that additions are a good solution.

[doctorwho]

d204mom said:

slp said:

I would have to agree with your comment about the additions...I have heard many neighbors state their frustration with the current situation and state, "then just forget about building a high school and add to the current schools" There is a sense of "we've had enough of this" and " lets move on".

Yes, I see it as a reaction of frustration with inaction instead of thinking that additions are a good solution.

IIRC no additions were able to be done to WVHS after being looked at and those at NV were minimal and created even creater congestion in exisiting hallway structure.... I don't see where additions were ever a viable option.

[gatordog]

warriorpride said:

eagledad said:

Yeah, but if you say it enough times it might make it true, right?

For those new to this board or who are not familiar with the history, Lisa Ohlhausen was a major Citizens For Options (the anti-referndum group in all elections) supporter and organizer. She was the CFO webmaster. She signed Steve Calcaterra's campaign petition which was collected by Paul White.

Lisa was the official spokeswoman of CFO during the 2006 referendum. She was quoted in many newspaper articles speaking for CFO and speaking against the referendum and the 3rd high school. Here are a few examples:
www.studentsfirst.us/printer/article.asp?c=175773
"We're not asking the taxpayers to go into a huge amount of debt for a short-term problem," spokeswoman Lisa Ohlhausen said. "If we don't need the space, we don't need to spend the money."
www.studentsfirst.us/printer/article.asp?c=176178
"CFO has provided the state board of elections with a full disclosure of all expenditures and donations and is in full compliance with the election laws," CFO spokeswoman Lisa Ohlhausen read from a statement.
Her husband wrote a Letter to the Editor of the Naperville Sun in 2005 titled "Tax hike vote research would be waste of money".

Just thought you should have the context of the latest LTE.

thanks Ed - might it be worth trying to pull together the LTEs from the 4-5-6 CFO folks that have written numerous letters? That way, instead of trying to dig them up, we'll just have them here, for reference. Maybe one thread per person - and we can see the flip-flops over time, too!

I gotta second the thank you on this one, Eagledad.

Its very important to have this background, and not forget it. Good citizenship on your part, ED, yet again!

[EagleDad]

Don't worry about that - one thing I'm committed to is keeping my CFO collectors cards forever and sharing them with all the kids on the playground It's a hobby of mine.

It's all public info, of course - I just keep it a bit longer.