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Lake Zurich school officials say new boundaries would alleviate crowding

Lake Zurich Unit School District 95 board members could soon be picking new boundary maps, which administrators say would alleviate crowding and ensure more equitable learning at district schools.

Before the board votes on a new map, which it could do as soon as January, members of the community have until the end of the night Sunday to review the options and put in their two cents.

Officials say development over the years has affected certain schools, and some - most notably Spencer Loomis Elementary on the district's north side - are becoming too crowded.

During a community engagement session on the redistricting process earlier this month, Vicky Cullinan, the district's assistant superintendent for business and operations, said Loomis School in Hawthorn Woods was significantly over capacity.

"They are using four portable classrooms and are utilizing space at Middle School North while other schools are under capacity," Cullinan said during the virtual meeting.

Chicago-based RSP and Associates was hired by the board to analyze the district's enrollment and help come up with new boundaries.

Each of the two proposed elementary maps would reduce Loomis' enrollment, from 604 students to 432 students in option A and from 604 students to 420 students in option B.

Both maps also call for the new May Whitney building, which is set to open in the fall of 2021 and will have more usable classroom space than the current building, to increase enrollment from 508 students to 699 students in option A and from 508 students to 654 students in option B.

The two proposed middle school maps would affect fewer people, and one of the options is to keep them the same way, according to Robert S. Schwarz, RSP's CEO.

Jean Malek, the district's executive director of communications, said 261 community members have left feedback for the district on the proposals so far. To view the maps and offer input through Sunday, residents should visit lz95.org/district/redistricting-school-boundaries. A committee of educators and community members will review the feedback and determine how to proceed, Malek said.

"We recognize how disruptive new boundaries are and seek to have ones that are long lasting," Cullinan said.

Malek said the board is expected to make a final decision in January.

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