Post by gatormom on Oct 3, 2007 4:48:49 GMT -6
Where will Dist. 204 build Metea Valley?
Melissa Jenco
Daily Herald Staff
Indian Prairie Unit District 204 will move forward with its plans to build Metea Valley High School, although its location is still in question.
"I see nothing and, for that matter, in our discussion the (school) board saw nothing, that suggests to us a third high school is unnecessary," school board President Mark Metzger said Tuesday.
The district decided to re-examine its options for Metea after its condemnation trial ended last week with a jury deciding Indian Prairie would owe roughly $17 million more than what it offered property owners for 55 acres off Route 59 near 75th Street and Commons Drive in Aurora.
The district wanted to pay about $250,000 an acre for the property owned by the Brach-Brodie trust. The jury put the value at $518,000 an acre.
The school board met Monday behind closed doors to discuss how to proceed -- buy the Brach-Brodie land, look at potential new sites for Metea, or not build the school at all.
Some critics have said enrollment figures are not coming in as high as the district predicted during its referendum push to fund Metea and the school is not needed.
Metzger said the board disagrees.
"We are certainly, most likely because of a downturn in housing, not seeing the growth we initially projected we would get," he said. "But, as a whole, the board felt the referendum was not sold on the basis of future projections as it was on the basis of students already here. And we see nothing to suggest current levels are going to go down anytime soon."
The school district now has to decide where it will construct the 3,000-student facility. It already owns 25 acres at the Brach-Brodie site that it had planned to combine with the additional 55 acres for an 80-acre campus.
If the district wishes to buy the Brach-Brodie property, it has 30 days from the jury's decision to do so.
In the meantime, the school board has asked administrators for more information about other available land for Metea and the costs associated with those properties.
"Each version of an answer to the question of where has different financial ramifications," Metzger said.
In 2006, voters approved a $124.7 million tax increase to build Metea and construction was supposed to begin this spring with an eye toward easing overcrowding at Neuqua Valley and Waubonsie Valley high schools. The school board has promised not to ask taxpayers for additional money for the school.
The school district will have about $17 million to $20 million from land-cash donations, bond proceeds and interest that can be used toward the project in addition to referendum funds, according to Metzger. That puts the total money available for Metea at about $142 million to $145 million.
Metzger said the land-cash donations have been sitting untouched. The district uses money from its operating funds to maintain its existing school buildings and funding for such maintenance projects will not be affected.
The school board is currently scheduled to meet Oct. 22, but Metzger said he anticipates a special meeting before that time, likely another predominantly closed session.
Melissa Jenco
Daily Herald Staff
Indian Prairie Unit District 204 will move forward with its plans to build Metea Valley High School, although its location is still in question.
"I see nothing and, for that matter, in our discussion the (school) board saw nothing, that suggests to us a third high school is unnecessary," school board President Mark Metzger said Tuesday.
The district decided to re-examine its options for Metea after its condemnation trial ended last week with a jury deciding Indian Prairie would owe roughly $17 million more than what it offered property owners for 55 acres off Route 59 near 75th Street and Commons Drive in Aurora.
The district wanted to pay about $250,000 an acre for the property owned by the Brach-Brodie trust. The jury put the value at $518,000 an acre.
The school board met Monday behind closed doors to discuss how to proceed -- buy the Brach-Brodie land, look at potential new sites for Metea, or not build the school at all.
Some critics have said enrollment figures are not coming in as high as the district predicted during its referendum push to fund Metea and the school is not needed.
Metzger said the board disagrees.
"We are certainly, most likely because of a downturn in housing, not seeing the growth we initially projected we would get," he said. "But, as a whole, the board felt the referendum was not sold on the basis of future projections as it was on the basis of students already here. And we see nothing to suggest current levels are going to go down anytime soon."
The school district now has to decide where it will construct the 3,000-student facility. It already owns 25 acres at the Brach-Brodie site that it had planned to combine with the additional 55 acres for an 80-acre campus.
If the district wishes to buy the Brach-Brodie property, it has 30 days from the jury's decision to do so.
In the meantime, the school board has asked administrators for more information about other available land for Metea and the costs associated with those properties.
"Each version of an answer to the question of where has different financial ramifications," Metzger said.
In 2006, voters approved a $124.7 million tax increase to build Metea and construction was supposed to begin this spring with an eye toward easing overcrowding at Neuqua Valley and Waubonsie Valley high schools. The school board has promised not to ask taxpayers for additional money for the school.
The school district will have about $17 million to $20 million from land-cash donations, bond proceeds and interest that can be used toward the project in addition to referendum funds, according to Metzger. That puts the total money available for Metea at about $142 million to $145 million.
Metzger said the land-cash donations have been sitting untouched. The district uses money from its operating funds to maintain its existing school buildings and funding for such maintenance projects will not be affected.
The school board is currently scheduled to meet Oct. 22, but Metzger said he anticipates a special meeting before that time, likely another predominantly closed session.
