SUN LTE 2/25

[fryfox]

Also, I think it is so out of line to say that the SB and administrators deserve an apology. They completely disrespected Watts, Cowlishaw and IMO especially Fry at the school board meeting but not even acknowledging and commenting openly and honestly about our concerns. At least 2/3 of the SB room were Fry parents and many of them spoke, but they couldn't even give any of our issues the time of day, other than JC joking about no one really walking. That is rude and disrespectful. They should be apologizing to all of us.

In twenty or thirty years, when they have to close MV due to low enrollment or annex more kids into our district to make enrollment, they'll really have to apologize. Or when someone files a lawsuit for their kids' illness due to EMF, they can apologize then too. If due diligence were done with the same outcome, no need for an apology. But in this case, no due diligence.

[Arch]

204vet said:

archwinsome said:

This is where I would like to actually understand the 'more to it than that' parts.

If the downside did not exist remaining at WVHS last time, what was the downside that turned out such a vote percentage and some even said the PTA itself was drumming up a NO vote. What were the actual issues at that time? Please help those of us who were not aware of the issues at least understand them.

It's in the archives. Lots of concerns were expressed. None of them having to do with remaining at WVHS as an issue. Sorry, not going to do it again.

All I found was split MS. Splits already happen in the district and now they'll happen more. So, the 'fix' didn't fix anything that I could see from that perspective. I think Doc and I both would have been very happy to remain at WVHS, regardless of what 'split' happened where.

[JB]

archwinsome said:

204vet said:

It's in the archives. Lots of concerns were expressed. None of them having to do with remaining at WVHS as an issue. Sorry, not going to do it again.

All I found was split MS. Splits already happen in the district and now they'll happen more. So, the 'fix' didn't fix anything that I could see from that perspective. I think Doc and I both would have been very happy to remain at WVHS, regardless of what 'split' happened where.

Count me in that group as well...

Also, last time when Brookdale was split out, several of us were quite verbal to the SB about what we thought of the split. We were quite empathetic to our friends in Brookdale - I don't recall anyone from our area saying "get over it and move on".

[jwh]

jb said:

archwinsome said:

All I found was split MS. Splits already happen in the district and now they'll happen more. So, the 'fix' didn't fix anything that I could see from that perspective. I think Doc and I both would have been very happy to remain at WVHS, regardless of what 'split' happened where.

Count me in that group as well...

Also, last time when Brookdale was split out, several of us were quite verbal to the SB about what we thought of the split. We were quite empathetic to our friends in Brookdale - I don't recall anyone from our area saying "get over it and move on".

It wasn't your area, it was residents south/southwest of you that made the snide comments at the time.

[mandmmom]

wvhsparent said:

Letters to the Editor


February 25, 2008

Board, administrators are owed an apology

We as a community of District 204 parents undoubtedly owe our administrators and members of our school board an apology for what we have put them through these last several months of determining a new site for our third high school and drawing of new school boundaries.
These volunteer board members have spent countless hours away from their own families and careers attempting to do what is best for all students of this great district, only to be criticized for their every move, as if they are the enemy.

And perhaps our administrators have a few other tasks to manage in running a school district than listening to the constant whine of unhappy parents.

We thank you for all that you have done on behalf of students today and for many years to come! Let's move forward and put the ugliness behind us.

Janine Horne

Naperville

Are you kidding me? The only apology needs to come from the SB to all the residents in 204. They need to say sorry for not holding this meeting in an appropriate venue, so all concerned parties could attend. Sorry for the bullying tactics by MM....sorry for not paying attention to the residents of 204 when they were speaking....if they were paying attention they would have answered all the questions, not just the ones they wanted to answer....sorry to the 3 kids that got up and speak and were only allowed 2 minutes, when they should have each had 2 minutes to speak....and my list could go on. This kind of statement makes people angry....so the healing process continues to be stalled, thanks for pouring salt on 204's wound.

[EagleDad]

204vet said:

Just an observation here. I am a Brookdale resident who voted Yes to the referendum last year even though I, along with my neighbors, had many concerns and frustrations with the process and some of the details of the outcome. It was not a happy vote for me but I truly felt it was for the good of the district and that smaller high schools overall would be best for all. So I voted yes, quite reluctantly.

So many of you seem to be blaming Brookdale for voting 80% no. Put yourself in their shoes. Wait, some of you are actually in those shoes because the location is not ideal for your area, the commute is long, you don't feel your voices were heard. etc. etc. As a Brookdale resident, I know exactly how that feels. OK, if the referendum were held today, feeling as you feel, do you vote "Yes" because it's for the good of the district? I did. You are consistently berating Brookdale for having a majority vote "No" so can we assume you would do differently?

You can insist that the circumstances now are so much different than what was facing Brookdale last year and that you have much more legitimate reasons for voting "No" if the election were held today. It's not productive to start a compare and contrast of then vs. now and I"m not going to do it. I can tell you that I think feelings of frustration and disappointment are similar. As for Brookale, whining this whole last year, I didn't see that happen. People I know moved on and hoped that the issue of splitting Brookdale off from it's middle school alone would somehow be addressed with middle school boundary changes.

I don't feel that comfortable posting here but I just felt it needed to be said.

Hi 204vet, that was a great post.

While I think the feelings of frustration and dissapointment are similar, I'd like to point out that for some, they have been moved from one existing high school to another to make room for those now happy about their new nearby school (that they voted against by and large) and saying get over it. At the same time, they are changing middle schools, from one now split middle-school to another now-split middle school, and are being redistricted from the highest achieving high school in the district to the lowest, a 5 point difference.

These are the shoes some now walk in and while none of the changes are insurmountable it will take a while of walking in them to get them broken in. So, thanks for your patience and seeing it from another perspective.

[WeBe204]

Hey if this is how this person feels it is how the person feels. I do believe the printing of this comment continues The Sun along the same trajectory they have been on since BB was abandoned. (Okay grab your tin foil hates)

When I was on Potluck over the summer, the blogs were started off by the moderator with rather anti-district wording. IMO, since Midwest Gen site was selected the tone of the Potluck blogs have been very anti-dissenter. (ie FRY) I very much believe the moderators of blogs control the tone of blogs. I think Potluck has become extremely anti-dissenter. Getting back to this letter, I just think this goes further to push this agenda of belittling the ungrateful few.

I think we need to wait for a few vital pieces of information before we can be congratulating people. Maybe we should wait for the environmental reports, the BB judgment, the actual completion date, and the final cost. All we have done at this point is draw some lines that really do not mean anything until a real school gets built. And even then those liines are transient.

[concerned]

jwh said:

jb said:

Count me in that group as well...

Also, last time when Brookdale was split out, several of us were quite verbal to the SB about what we thought of the split. We were quite empathetic to our friends in Brookdale - I don't recall anyone from our area saying "get over it and move on".

It wasn't your area, it was subdivisions south/southwest of you that made the snide comments at the time.

I'm not sure if I understand your quote. Once again a bash on the southerners. Brookdale was more vocal then TG, but did not get labeled as TG did. Now we have a split MS and will be moved away from a HS we can walk to.

The SB should be apoloigizing to us about the false memo. I am still waiting.

[secondtimearound]

Also, to be fair, it is not "subdivisions" that make comments; it is individuals. Please don't label entire areas when it is isolated to a few outspoken people.

[204vet]

jb said:

archwinsome said:

All I found was split MS. Splits already happen in the district and now they'll happen more. So, the 'fix' didn't fix anything that I could see from that perspective. I think Doc and I both would have been very happy to remain at WVHS, regardless of what 'split' happened where.

Count me in that group as well...

Also, last time when Brookdale was split out, several of us were quite verbal to the SB about what we thought of the split. We were quite empathetic to our friends in Brookdale - I don't recall anyone from our area saying "get over it and move on".

That is true. I did email the board this time around and say I thought some of the commutes (i.e. Owen and Watts) looked like really tough commutes.

[jwh]

secondtimearound said:

Also, to be fair, it is not "subdivisions" that make comments; it is individuals. Please don't label entire areas when it is isolated to a few outspoken people.

I agree, just like making comments about the Brookdale subdivision based on the comments(letter) of one person.

[secondtimearound]

jwh said:

secondtimearound said:

Also, to be fair, it is not "subdivisions" that make comments; it is individuals. Please don't label entire areas when it is isolated to a few outspoken people.

The same as making comments about the Brookdale subdivision based on the comments(letter) of one person.

Agree, it goes both ways and all (at least on this board ) should stop doing it!

[d204mom]

I really think the school board should apologize for not having the foresight of holding the meeting in an appropriate venue.

I am still wondering who called the Fire Marshall? They had to know what was going on.

Sometimes a simple "I'm sorry we did something wrong" goes a LOOOOOOOONG way. It's called "falling on your sword" and it would start the healing process. I don't think anyone in a D204 leadership position has the guts to do it. I hope I'm wrong.

[warriorpride]

secondtimearound said:

Also, to be fair, it is not "subdivisions" that make comments; it is individuals. Please don't label entire areas when it is isolated to a few outspoken people.

and, based on concerned's post, it is inidividuals that may or may not be able to walk to a school, not a subdivision - it's probably a best practice if everyone basically speaks for themselves and doesn't try to, or pretend to, speak for their neighborhood, subdivision, ES area, MS area, HS area, geographic area, or city. That seems to the root of some of these verbal wars & perception problems. So, use of the term "we" should probably be used sparingly.

[brooksmom]

204vet said:

Safety is of course an issue for all. I agree on that. I knew many of you would see it as a completely different situation. It always is when you are being affected. As to the idea that there is a downside to remaining at the high school you have always gone to...don't think there is. There was much more to it than that. Guess we need to agree to disagree.

I agree with you that there have been many cases on this board of people objecting to situations that were fine with them before they were personally impacted. One example that I can think of off hand are the WV enrollment numbers. They are the same as they would have been with BB, but now there are people crying foul because it is their child who will be crowded. Obviously you object more when it is you bearing the brunt of the impact. It never sounds so bad when it is someone else who has to deal.

There were many, many people who voted yes only because they liked the boundaries that the SB fed them. That was the whole point of the boundary exercise. The SB made a decision that Brookdale's votes were less important to the passage of the referendum than those they satisfied with their boundaries elsewhere in the district. I don't think Brookdale should be scorned when there were many others who voted in the opposite direction for the very same reason - boundaries. Nor do I think that those in Brookdale should hold their tongue now based on the referendum vote. They are equal participants in this school district and have the right to offer their opinions via vote or in print as does everyone else in district 204.