Hamman

[confused]

I agree that Hamman makes a lot of sense. It's cost-effective and disrupts the fewest number of students from their existing schools. It may not provide as balanced of an achievement gap, but it has no potential health hazards as AME does. That's a huge plus.

[bob]

It may not provide as balanced of an achievement gap

I think that is the biggest obstacle. Just look at who was pressing for balanced achievment last time.

[confused]

agreed.

[doctorwho]

al said:

Just speaking for our situation on the far SW side specifically, but there's something that makes so much sense about having both our MS (Crone) and HS (Metea) both on 111th and so close to each other. Choose AME if it is proven to be the better site, but we deserve at least due diligence from the SB in looking seriously at this site.

the Dr was very complimentary to the owners of this property yesterday, and did acknowledge it was the best buy - but the fact that is was out of district and they had to negotiate with Oswego to annex it - seemed to be the only hangup- and prevented the 2009 opening they are hellbent on. He said he did make a call to see how quickly that could take place and the timeframe was not good.

[Arch]

doctorwho said:

al said:

Just speaking for our situation on the far SW side specifically, but there's something that makes so much sense about having both our MS (Crone) and HS (Metea) both on 111th and so close to each other. Choose AME if it is proven to be the better site, but we deserve at least due diligence from the SB in looking seriously at this site.

the Dr was very complimentary to the owners of this property yesterday, and did acknowledge it was the best buy - but the fact that is was out of district and they had to negotiate with Oswego to annex it - seemed to be the only hangup- and prevented the 2009 opening they are hellbent on. He said he did make a call to see how quickly that could take place and the timeframe was not good.

Spend more for worse sooner. The logic is comical.

[gatordog]

wvhsparent said:

Also include what would Oswego SD have to say about our SD taking land out of their tax rolls.

Remember it is outside of our Dist too.

I am seeing more outside political snags here, too.

I wonder if Oswego 308 was counting this area in their growth projections used to sell the taxpayers on their big ~$450 mil ref they just passed. (My guess is yes...but dont know for sure)

So: are we asking Oswego 308 SD to give up land and taxroll growth for student enrollment that they their taxpayers already agreed to support? Could this lead to underutilized 308 schools per their big construction plans?

I was originally worried about just lack of interest from Aurora City Hall. Now I wonder if this site would lead to outright opposition from Oswego 308?

We need to better understand these implications.

[rew]

I dont' think the achievement gap is going to be much improved with AME either...but I will hold off staing that until someone here tells me what to figure for the boundaries.

[bob]

rew said:

I dont' think the achievement gap is going to be much improved with AME either...but I will hold off staing that until someone here tells me what to figure for the boundaries.

It will be.

My guess w/o splitting grade schools

MV MW Col Young BD Brooks Owen
WV Gt,Gom, WE,Pet,Fry McC Steck
NV Wel, Clow SB Pat Ken Bul Graham

I also guess that MV is going to be 2700 students while WV is closer to 3000 and NV at 3600

[rew]

The Daily Herald front page headline reads"District 204 chooses new Metea site". The Trib has basically the same thing. The Mayor of Aurora is quoted "we'll be very proud to have another 204 high school in Aurora".

So it's done right? All our silly discussion is moot?

[d204mom]

rew said:

The Daily Herald front page headline reads"District 204 chooses new Metea site". The Trib has basically the same thing. The Mayor of Aurora is quoted "we'll be very proud to have another 204 high school in Aurora".

So it's done right? All our silly discussion is moot?

Others have suggested the same thing - that our "feedback" is going into a junk mail file.

[Arch]

"On a bus for an hour and a half a day is no way to go through HS, son"

[bbc]

rew said:

The Daily Herald front page headline reads"District 204 chooses new Metea site". The Trib has basically the same thing. The Mayor of Aurora is quoted "we'll be very proud to have another 204 high school in Aurora".

So it's done right? All our silly discussion is moot?

You are exactly right. This constant scenario analysis on boundaries and busing has already been hashed over with the admin. and the SB before the released the site info IMO. The only thing that can change the site location at this point would be:
1--The SB/admin becomes convinced that a 2009 opening is not possible or needed.
2--the passage of a future operating referendum is at risk with this selection or
3--and this is a crazy one but look at the strategy employed by our sb in the past...hope they "scare" macom or BB into renegotiating a better price.
Short of these, i would bet the boundaries are probably final for AME. There is no way they are going thru another boundaries meeting.

[gatordog]

Thinking about the Oswego 308 and Aurora cooperation needed here.... I checked City of Aurora zoning at
www.aurora-il.org/communitydevelopment/landuse/zonemapbook.php

On WH-17 (making this the very far SE part of Aurora)
this area is marked as PDD "planned development district." Its not marked residential.

Not sure what that means...I wonder what the develoment plans are? Are there commericial plans here? This is another angle to the concern about this being in SD 308. Our SD wouldnt want to ask them to give up some tax revenue producing land. And for taxpayer fairness in 308, I woulnd want them to ask if this was the case.

[WeBe204]

gatordog said:

casey said:

Agreed. Hamman deserves a better look.

I agree with you casey. And I think Hamman will get full consideration by the SB.

My opinion is there are two real options on the table:

1) St John's with 2009 opening.
2) Hamman with 2010 opening.

After reading things last night, I think the vast majority will agree that BB is out (funds not available), and Macom is out (multiple owner complexity, road and power line relocation cost and schedule complexity)

I think its progress that we can narrow down to two choices.

I am just going to be a broken record. There is no such thing as St. Johns in 2009. That should just come out of the analysis. This is based on factors the district has no control over. It seems so much like the BB land promise. The district is hoping they can make it happen, but I bet even they are unsure. That won't of course stop them from saying all Tuesday night long that it will be 2009. Just like Mark sending out a land update this summer saying how everything it going great and the evil bb trust with its evil trial lawyers will lose. Its just something they are hoping for. I would hate to go so far as to say its a manipulation of the facts.

[EagleDad]

gatordog said:

Thinking about the Oswego 308 and Aurora cooperation needed here.... I checked City of Aurora zoning at
www.aurora-il.org/communitydevelopment/landuse/zonemapbook.php

On WH-17 (making this the very far SE part of Aurora)
this area is marked as PDD "planned development district." Its not marked residential.

Not sure what that means...I wonder what the develoment plans are? Are there commericial plans here? This is another angle to the concern about this being in SD 308. Our SD wouldnt want to ask them to give up some tax revenue producing land. And for taxpayer fairness in 308, I woulnd want them to ask if this was the case.

The land is already annexed into Aurora. There was an already planned and final residential development plan in place. The developer went under with the construction market and now the land remains vacant. You're points of SD308 being concerned of loosing revenue are probably valid, but given they would be loosing students and residences at the same time, I might assume it is somewhat of a break-even if not a net-positive for a rapidly growing SD.