SB Options for BB now

[momof3]

www.suburbanchicagonews.com/napervillesun/news/opinions/580976,6_4_NA30_EDITORIAL_S1.article#

When a jury knocks a school district for a loop

September 30, 2007

For the board and administration of Indian Prairie School District 204, the question is what do they do now.

A jury shocked the district Wednesday when it came up with a price more than twice as much as it had anticipated to pay for land for Metea Valley High School.

The school board was expecting to pay about $14.1 million for the land - $257,500 per acre for 55 acres of the Brach-Brodie property at 75th Street and Route 59.


THE ISSUE: School District 204 will have to pay more than twice as much as it anticipated for the site for its third high school.
OUR VIEW: This leaves the district with a number of options, none of them all that appealing.
Instead, the jury in the condemnation suit awarded the Brach-Brodie estate $518,000 per acre plus $2.5 million in damages to the remaining property facing Route 59 - a total of some $31 million.
The board has several options available to it.

One is that it can go ahead and buy the land and then build a less expensive high school than it had originally planned. In 2006 voters in District 204 approved a $124.6 million referendum to cover the building and the site.

The verdict means that the district will have $93 million left to spend on the building, instead of the $110 million it had anticipated.

Another option would be not to buy the site and to go back out and look at other locations, but this would knock out the district's time line for building and opening the new school.

Another possible site would be one that Macom, a local developer, pitched to the district some time ago but the district rejected. If that's still available, the district might want to reconsider.

Yet another option would be for school officials to step back and once again look at population projections and re-study whether the district needs a third high school. However, though some have urged this all along, district leaders' minds probably haven't changed on that score.

Quite honestly, none of these options seem all that appealing.

If the board is still determined to build a new high school and build it according to the schedule it has set, the most viable option would be to buy the Brach-Brodie site and build a school on it that doesn't cost as much as originally planned.

At least that would be a novel approach to a school - build one that costs less than you originally planned to spend.

[proschool]

'At least that would be a novel approach to a school - build one that costs less than you originally planned to spend. "

Thes guys really make my blood boil. Does anyone have a copy of the editorail against th first referendum. I believe theyh said that we could take out time and save some money.

[doctorwho]

dpc said:

proschool said:

Absolutely explore the options. There are 30 days.

Then we agree. Much can be done in 30 days if the right resources are dedicated to the task at hand. I must say that I am relieved (actually thrilled) that Dr. D will be spearheading this situation rather than HC.

from all I read this is one of Dr. D's strengths - so I too am glad he is there right now -- not sure he can make all those connectons that quickly - but it appears from his track record he has the know how --

[movingforward]

I'm all for looking at other options that could:

1) allow the school to open in the same time frame as BB and

2) would cost less than if the SD proceeded with BB

The SB has been given the responsibility to build a new high school with $124 million. If they can still carry through on that task at BB, then they should move forward and move on.

We are now finally at a juncture where there are no longer any unknowns. IF the school board decides to pursue another option , it opens up a whole new set of unknowns again .

If the SD can build at BB for $124 million, they should ....if they cannot, they need to share their contingency plans at this time and then THEY should make the decision.

[momof3]

proschool said:

'At least that would be a novel approach to a school - build one that costs less than you originally planned to spend. "

Thes guys really make my blood boil. Does anyone have a copy of the editorail against th first referendum. I believe theyh said that we could take out time and save some money.

iirc they endorsed both refs but were lukewarm in their endorsement..

Sun Editorial Wrap-Up: Sun endorsements in Tuesday's election
Naperville Sun, The (IL)
April 4, 2005

DISTRICT 204'S REFERENDUM

Perhaps the best reason to support the $130.5 million building referendum question in Indian Prairie School District 204 is that the alternative is worse.

Sure, district residents could decide to punish the district for waffling on building a third high school in 2001 and, instead, persuading residents to authorize converting two middle schools into freshman campuses. ...

Voters could also decide that now that the district has decided to go ahead with the third high school, its population projections can't be trusted. ...

However, turning down the referendum question isn't going to do anything about providing classroom space for the up to 3,000 students that the new high school would hold. ...

The plan may not be perfect, but the district needs to try to keep pace with its rapid growth and, as an issue of fairness, provide similar school facilities for all its students.

Without excusing the apparent poor planning that has gone into some of its past decisions, we believe that District 204 voters should put that issue aside and cast a YES vote for this proposition.

[southsidemom]

Weeks ago I suggested that we accept an opening date of 2010 for MV instead of incurring extra costs to expedite construction. The "cushion after the land purchase" was going to cover around the clock building.

Well, there is no cushion with BB.

Let's get real - A 2009 opening is not viable.

[Arch]

Let's also get real and hear what is decided along with the plan on how to get there after going over the options.

[southsidemom]

So I guess now we are all "citizens for options"! LOL

[warriorpride]

southsidemom said:

So I guess now we are all "citizens for options"! LOL

Not me - I just expect the SB to figure out how to get MV built on BB. We don't need any options presented to us - we're not voting on anything. The SB just needs to get some work done figuring out how to cut costs and raise some extra $.

[blankcheck]

Yea raise some extra $$$ as in another tax increase.

[movingforward]

warriorpride said:

southsidemom said:

So I guess now we are all "citizens for options"! LOL

Not me - I just expect the SB to figure out how to get MV built on BB. We don't need any options presented to us - we're not voting on anything. The SB just needs to get some work done figuring out how to cut costs and raise some extra $.

Exactly.

If they can build Metea for $124million (and not go to taxpayers for more monies) , they have an obligation, IMO, to move forward on BB.

We voted for a third high school and it is their job to make that happen sooner than later at this point.

I agree with bc that they should not come to taxpayers to raise additional funds . They need to figure that one out themselves. I am optimistic that they can.

I am , however, open minded to hearing what other possibilities may be in store.

[southsidemom]

movingforward said:

warriorpride said:

Not me - I just expect the SB to figure out how to get MV built on BB. We don't need any options presented to us - we're not voting on anything. The SB just needs to get some work done figuring out how to cut costs and raise some extra $.

Exactly.

If they can build Metea for $124million (and not go to taxpayers for more monies) , they have an obligation, IMO, to move forward on BB.

We voted for a third high school and it is their job to make that happen sooner than later at this point.

I agree with bc that they should not come to taxpayers to raise additional funds . They need to figure that one out themselves. I am optimistic that they can.

I am , however, open minded to hearing what other possibilities may be in store.

I am also open to hearing what other options we have in store, but skimping on the quality of our new high school is not one of them! I am anxious to hear if we move forward with the school on BB, what will be cut out or altered and how.

[doctorwho]

blankcheck said:

Yea raise some extra $$$ as in another tax increase.

and if they do that then one has a right to complain - but all I'm hearing - none has anything to do with coming back for more than we already approved -

[doctorwho]

warriorpride said:

southsidemom said:

So I guess now we are all "citizens for options"! LOL

Not me - I just expect the SB to figure out how to get MV built on BB. We don't need any options presented to us - we're not voting on anything. The SB just needs to get some work done figuring out how to cut costs and raise some extra $.

exactly - if it all gets done under the approved referendum umbrella - there is nothing to vote on. There is plenty of work to be done and some very good people working on it - including the new Super who is known for his ability to work with the community businesses etc. Who knows, maybe we come out of this with some very nice new partnerships. I prefer to hold out hope that way rather than try and find all the ways this can fail.

[doctorwho]

southsidemom said:

Weeks ago I suggested that we accept an opening date of 2010 for MV instead of incurring extra costs to expedite construction. The "cushion after the land purchase" was going to cover around the clock building.

Well, there is no cushion with BB.

Let's get real - A 2009 opening is not viable.

I'm for letting Turner Construction decide that, someone who actually is a builder ?