Glen Ellyn District 41 seeking community input on facilities

Glen Ellyn Elementary District 41 is inviting community members to participate in a new task force dedicated to studying the district's facility issues.

Chief Communications Officer Erika Krehbiel said the district wants the task force to help it determine the best way to find space to support full-day kindergarten, remove the remaining portable classrooms at Hadley Junior High School, relieve crowding at the district's four elementary schools, and provide flexible learning space and adequate core spaces like bathrooms and cafeterias at their schools.

The district's facilities have been a hot topic for some time, with recent conversations centering on the possibility of housing a full-day kindergarten program in the district.

Three options have so far been proposed to implement such a program: building a new elementary school, constructing an early learning center for youngsters, or modifying the existing schools.

Superintendent Paul Gordon said it is important for the task force to look at the three options.

Krehbiel said the district will provide information to the task force but will not guide the conversation.

The district will be holding an informational meeting about the task force at 7 p.m. May 6 at Hadley.

"The size of the task force will depend on the interest of the community and how many people would like to participate," Krehbiel said.

The task force is expected to submit a report that will inform a future district recommendation to the board.

She said the hope is for the task force to have a report completed by the start of the school year.

"If we are going to solve the historical facility issues across our district, we can't do that alone," Krehbiel said. "We need to partner with the community."