Winfield elementary schools open to idea of merging with 3 others

School officials in Winfield Elementary District 34 are willing to pursue a discussion of consolidating their district with three nearby school districts.

But school board members in the two-school district said they don't want to push the idea without some deliberation with their neighbors and a formal study.

"I'm not open to being railroaded" into making a hasty decision, District 34 school board member Rita Grady said.

Superintendent Diane Cody and board member Bob Brown were selected Monday to represent District 34 on a committee to explore merging with West Chicago High School District 94, Benjamin Elementary District 25 and West Chicago Elementary District 33. The school boards in both District 94 and District 33 have already selected representatives for the joint committee.

The idea of consolidating the four districts was proposed last month at a joint meeting by District 94 school board President Tony Reyes. He has argued that the four districts need to consider the matter as a way to create a more efficient and cost-effective learning environment for the roughly 7,200 students in the districts.

Board members in District 34 were receptive to deliberating the idea, but were openly skeptical of pushing the plan through without an up-to-date study of how consolidation would impact the respective school districts.

School officials last conducted a formal study on school consolidation for the four districts in 1996.

District 34 board President Craig Martin said an updated study needed to be conducted before he would feel comfortable pushing the matter any further.

"I don't know how I can point to a 12-year-old study as justification for consolidation," he said.

District 34 officials last considered the idea of merging with nearby Benjamin District 25 in 2006 as a cost-saving measure to overcome projected budget deficits at the time. But the matter was never formally pursued.