Slower growth in Geneva schools could postpone referendum

Geneva schools enrollment should continue to grow, but not as rapidly as projected last year at this time.

Slower sales of new housing is the reason why.

That could factor into whether to include a new elementary school in LaFox in the next planned referendum -- the one in which the school board intends to ask permission to expand Geneva High School -- or wait, the school's business chief told the board this week.

Mill Creek subdivision is the major development active in the Geneva district. Another, the Settlements of LaFox, is just breaking ground.

Shodeen Inc., the developer of Mill Creek west of Randall Road, projected last year it would add 189 single-family homes in the district and 75 apartments in 2007. The estimate's been reduced to 115 single-family homes, according to Rebecca Allard, the school district's assistant superintendent for business.

In 2008 and 2009, Shodeen might build 220 single-family homes, 155 fewer than originally planned.

The Settlements of LaFox, which the district anticipates will take seven years to build 750 single-family homes and 150 town homes, probably won't see the first finished housing until the spring of 2009, Allard said.

The district expects ultimately to receive 365 students from Shodeen-related housing, and 911 from Settlements of LaFox when building is complete.

The Geneva school district only covers part of the Mill Creek subdivision. Of that, the majority attend Mill Creek Elementary, and some attend Western Avenue Elementary. Presently, there is room for 131 more students at Mill Creek, but Western is 25 students over capacity, Allard said.

"We continue to get new students at Western every day," said Superintendent Kent Mutchler.

The slower rate of growth could give the district a bit more flexibility when setting attendance boundaries next fall for Fabyan Elementary School, due to open in 2009.

"The slight slowing gives us a little bit of breathing room," Allard said.

The district says all five elementary schools have a capacity of 564 students. Six-day enrollment figures show 563 students at Coultrap, 492 at Harrison Street, 589 at Western Avenue, 433 at Mill Creek and 488 at Heartland.

The two middle schools each have a capacity of 1,000 students, with North at 701 and South at 718. The high school has 1,934 students, 66 fewer than capacity.

The district's 10-year master facilities plan, adopted in 2006, calls for a referendum in 2008 or 2009 for work including adding on to the high school and building the LaFox elementary school.