Subdivision's vote may seal Dist. 200 school shift

A unanimous vote by families in the Danada North subdivision may prove to be the vote that counts in an all-or-nothing proposal to shift one-third of Lowell Elementary students to other schools.

Wheaton Warrenville Unit District 200 school board members debated the redistricting of Lowell Elementary School Wednesday night. Lowell parents initiated the conversation last year in asking the district to consider a change.

Lowell is the only school in the district that does not send all its students on to the same middle school at graduation.

The change would impact families in Danada North and the entire Briarcliffe subdivision in Wheaton.

The plan would send Danada students to Lincoln Elementary. They'd graduate to Edison Middle School from there. Briarcliffe students would attend Wiesbrook Elementary and graduate to Hubble Middle School.

Briarcliffe parents have been split 50/50 on the possible change in recent community meetings. But Danada parents polled all favor the switch. District staff pitched the move as an all-or-nothing change to the school board.

Superintendent Richard Drury said his preference would be for no change.

With that in mind, the idea that all of Danada North and half of Briarcliffe wants to move appeared to win favor with the school board Wednesday night.

The school board agreed, if the change happens, bus rides must be kept to under 30 minutes for the students involved. All families currently at Lowell will be given an option to stay at Lowell throughout their elementary years.

The board asked to see hard numbers on the impacts the changes would have on class sizes at all schools that would see new students. Principals at all schools involved said they could accommodate the influx without much disruption.

The school board is set to vote on the issue at its next meeting Feb. 26.