District 211 board vacancy delays land decision
A vacancy on the Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 board has postponed until October a discussion and possible decision on the fate of 62 acres in Schaumburg that board members expected to occur Thursday.
Board President Mucia Burke said she felt it appropriate to wait until after a new board member is appointed - likely in early August - as well as given sufficient time to get up to speed on such an important decision.
Determining a future use or potential sale of the long-dormant site in a residential neighborhood was identified as a goal of the district's strategic plan approved last year.
But the resignation of board Member Lauanna Recker late last month has made appointing a replacement for the rest of her term a new higher priority.
Board member Pete Dombrowski suggested that October was possibly too long to wait due to the up-to-date data on the site the district received last month from a professional analysis.
He proposed a special board meeting on this single topic in late August, but other board members preferred Burke's October suggestion.
The land in question is bordered by Summit Drive to the west, Plum Grove Road to the east, and lies between existing houses south of Weathersfield Way and north or Wise Road.
District 211 bought about two-thirds of the site for a potential new school in 1966, with the last 20 acres purchased in 1971.
Though the district received village approval to build on the site in 1974, a need for a new high school was not recognized then and is not foreseen now.
The board will meet at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 19 at the district's administration building, 1750 S. Roselle Road in Palatine.
Meanwhile, members plan to interview applicants for Recker's seat on the board on July 31 and Aug. 1 before possibly making the appointment Aug. 3.
Sixteen district residents applied for the vacancy.