Post by refbasics on Mar 6, 2008 0:37:25 GMT -6
www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=147900
Metea Valley moving forward despite lawsuit threat
By Justin Kmitch | Daily Herald Staff Writer
Published: 3/5/2008 5:26 PM | Updated: 3/5/2008 11:29 PM
Barring unforeseen trouble with environmental reports due Friday, Indian Prairie Unit District 204 officials are intent on purchasing the Eola Road site and building Metea Valley High School there.
"No one's told me to slow this boat down," Superintendent Stephen Daeschner said Wednesday.
Not even the threat of litigation posed Tuesday by the recently formed Neighborhood Schools for our Children appears likely to halt the anticipated March 19 closing for the 87 acres on the north side of the district.
Officials said they still plan to open the bulk of the new high school to freshmen and sophomores in the fall of 2009 -- despite opposition from the new group.
"We'll react when they do something for us to react to," school board President Mark Metzger said. "I wasn't (at Tuesday's meeting of the residents group) so I don't know what I would be reacting to."
The group's de facto spokesman, Todd Andrews, told about 150 supporters Tuesday night of the organization's desire to hire environmental attorney Shawn Collins to slow the process.
As of Wednesday night, Andrews said the group had not yet hired Collins and declined to say how much money it has raised toward that effort.
A formal executive board is being formed and will be commenting on those items in the near future, he said.
"We're not some radical group and we're not some group of extremists who are looking to fight the 'man' and spend a lot of our district's money," Andrews said Tuesday. "We're a group of parents and residents who are just really concerned about what's going on.
"This (Eola Road) site doesn't make sense, and the due diligence that's taken place is ridiculous."
Andrews said the group -- which consists mostly of residents in the White Eagle and Tall Grass neighborhoods -- believes the district hasn't done enough to ensure the Eola Road location is safe. The land is owned by St. John AME Church and Midwest Generation, an independent power producer, and is just south of Diehl Road.
Daeschner scoffed at Andrews' allegation and questioned the group's motives
"It's a little suspicious, isn't it? I mean, good night. None of their children would even go to Metea Valley," he said. "But regardless, we as a district are more concerned about the safety of these kids than anyone could imagine."
Metzger said results from the second phase of environmental testing are due Friday and the final results of all environmental testing at the site will be presented to board members Monday night.
"My understanding is that the only things found were found in limited quantities and are easily and frequently remediated," he said.
Daeschner confirmed Monday's report will contain no surprises.
"It's nothing big. Just some oil in scattered parts of the soil," he said.
Collins spent the last week "collecting all of the facts" and said they clearly point to promises made by the district before a 2006 referendum that Metea would be built on the Brach-Brodie property near 75th Street and Commons Drive in Aurora and that boundary maps that were previously agreed to would remain in place.
The allegations of bait-and-switch tactics have not gone unnoticed by board members.
"Lets be clear that I am perfectly aware that some people are disappointed," Metzger said. "But I disagree with their conclusion that they were the victims of a bait-and-switch."
Collins believes the community members have a case but warned it's not a "slam dunk" because there's "precious little" legal precedent for a community to demand a board of education to "either do what you said you were going to do with the money or give it back."
If unhappy residents are to move forward with legal action, however, Collins said they've got to move fast. Daeschner said the property closing could come as soon as March 19 and board members are expected to approve up to nine construction-related contracts Monday night.
When it's fully operational, Metea Valley is expected to house roughly 3,000 students and ease crowding at the district's two other high schools, Neuqua Valley and Waubonsie Valley.
Metea Valley moving forward despite lawsuit threat
By Justin Kmitch | Daily Herald Staff Writer
Published: 3/5/2008 5:26 PM | Updated: 3/5/2008 11:29 PM
Barring unforeseen trouble with environmental reports due Friday, Indian Prairie Unit District 204 officials are intent on purchasing the Eola Road site and building Metea Valley High School there.
"No one's told me to slow this boat down," Superintendent Stephen Daeschner said Wednesday.
Not even the threat of litigation posed Tuesday by the recently formed Neighborhood Schools for our Children appears likely to halt the anticipated March 19 closing for the 87 acres on the north side of the district.
Officials said they still plan to open the bulk of the new high school to freshmen and sophomores in the fall of 2009 -- despite opposition from the new group.
"We'll react when they do something for us to react to," school board President Mark Metzger said. "I wasn't (at Tuesday's meeting of the residents group) so I don't know what I would be reacting to."
The group's de facto spokesman, Todd Andrews, told about 150 supporters Tuesday night of the organization's desire to hire environmental attorney Shawn Collins to slow the process.
As of Wednesday night, Andrews said the group had not yet hired Collins and declined to say how much money it has raised toward that effort.
A formal executive board is being formed and will be commenting on those items in the near future, he said.
"We're not some radical group and we're not some group of extremists who are looking to fight the 'man' and spend a lot of our district's money," Andrews said Tuesday. "We're a group of parents and residents who are just really concerned about what's going on.
"This (Eola Road) site doesn't make sense, and the due diligence that's taken place is ridiculous."
Andrews said the group -- which consists mostly of residents in the White Eagle and Tall Grass neighborhoods -- believes the district hasn't done enough to ensure the Eola Road location is safe. The land is owned by St. John AME Church and Midwest Generation, an independent power producer, and is just south of Diehl Road.
Daeschner scoffed at Andrews' allegation and questioned the group's motives
"It's a little suspicious, isn't it? I mean, good night. None of their children would even go to Metea Valley," he said. "But regardless, we as a district are more concerned about the safety of these kids than anyone could imagine."
Metzger said results from the second phase of environmental testing are due Friday and the final results of all environmental testing at the site will be presented to board members Monday night.
"My understanding is that the only things found were found in limited quantities and are easily and frequently remediated," he said.
Daeschner confirmed Monday's report will contain no surprises.
"It's nothing big. Just some oil in scattered parts of the soil," he said.
Collins spent the last week "collecting all of the facts" and said they clearly point to promises made by the district before a 2006 referendum that Metea would be built on the Brach-Brodie property near 75th Street and Commons Drive in Aurora and that boundary maps that were previously agreed to would remain in place.
The allegations of bait-and-switch tactics have not gone unnoticed by board members.
"Lets be clear that I am perfectly aware that some people are disappointed," Metzger said. "But I disagree with their conclusion that they were the victims of a bait-and-switch."
Collins believes the community members have a case but warned it's not a "slam dunk" because there's "precious little" legal precedent for a community to demand a board of education to "either do what you said you were going to do with the money or give it back."
If unhappy residents are to move forward with legal action, however, Collins said they've got to move fast. Daeschner said the property closing could come as soon as March 19 and board members are expected to approve up to nine construction-related contracts Monday night.
When it's fully operational, Metea Valley is expected to house roughly 3,000 students and ease crowding at the district's two other high schools, Neuqua Valley and Waubonsie Valley.