Dist. 15 plan creates troubling inequities

I am voting NO on the referendum for District 15 residents because with the global perspective the district is looking for in trying to update and improve, they forgot that a "global perspective" means multiple parents, community members, teachers and administrators from the area as well as individual neighborhoods within District 15.

There are HUGE gaps where this "global perspective" was not represented and thus, a plan has been proposed that is negligent in meeting the needs within District 15.

I am uncomfortable with the isolation that will occur in the northeast corner of Palatine. We are a community as a whole and at my child's school over 15 languages are spoken. I am uncomfortable with Title I benefits being lost to schools that still need it. I am uncomfortable with the always-changing boundary lines. I am uncomfortable with the only park in the northeast corner being demolished for this new school. I am also uncomfortable with the closing of a school because the Palatine Park District wants the land.

In the end, I feel District 15 needs to improve by starting from scratch with the current boundaries, looking at our projected census and redistrict our students with school capacity limits taken into account as well as anticipated neighborhood growths.

From there, a new planning committee should look at each school, what is needed to maintain and improve structurally, and then make a decision about new buildings. I want to see a comprehensive look at our district's needs and engage community members who are knowledgeable in all areas needed to then present and promote a plan for change in D15.

In my opinion, the plan D15 is promoting is not the best plan for our kids and that is why I will vote "NO".

Jenn Hurwitz

Palatine