Parents weigh in on boundary shift

Nearly 20 parents attended a hearing on Kaneland District 302 proposed boundary changes for the 2009-2010 school year Tuesday at John Stewart Elementary School in Elburn.

The district is considering changes because a second middle school is under construction on Harter Road on the north side of Sugar Grove and will open next year. The current Kaneland Middle School is on Meredith Road on the campus of the high school in Maple Park. Boundaries must be established for the two middle schools and changes are being considered for the four elementary schools, primarily because additional seats are being added to Blackberry Creek Elementary School in Elburn.

Superintendent of Schools Charles McCormick told the small gathering that a total of six options have been presented concerning boundary changes for both the middle schools and the district's four elementary schools. Julie-Ann Fuchs, assistant school business official, went through the options.

"We understand that families want their children to go to middle school with the children they went to elementary school with," Fuchs said. "But we have to be prepared equally at both ends of the district to accommodate future growth. We also want a balance in curriculum and programs at all the schools."

Parents at the meeting appeared more concerned about elementary school changes. Some expressed concern that neighborhoods will be split and children will not attend schools in their neighborhood. Some parents said they did not want their children to pass a school that was close by to attend another one farther from their homes.

Two residents of the Black Walnut Trail subdivision in Sugar Grove, Mark Hoeft and Kimberly Camm, expressed concern about living in an "island" in the north part of the district while their children attend McDole Elementary School in the southern part of the district. Hoeft, who has children in first and third grades and a preschooler, and Camm, who has children in kindergarten, fifth grade and in high school, said their children were moved from a crowded John Stewart Elementary School in Elburn three years ago. The children travel 45 minutes on the bus to attend McDole, which is in Montgomery.

Calm and Hoeft want their children to be able to return to John Shields Elementary School .

"They were sent to McDole because of the expected growth in population," Hoeft said. "Now that growth has slowed. We were told that everyone must take their turn. We have taken our turn. Now we want some equity."

Option 2 concerning elementary schools would place Hoeft's and Camm's children back into John Shields because it calls in part for children from families in Black Walnut Trail and Windstone subdivisions to go back into John Shields. But Camm believes other aspects of the option "splits communities further apart."

Camm said she has suggested another option, which school officials have been calling Option 5, which she believes is the best because it returns her children to Jon Stewart but keeps communities together. But officials are not presenting this option to the community.

When asked about this by Hoeft, McCormick said, "We can get this information out." McCormick said he is in touch with parents by e-mail and by telephone, in addition to holding the hearings.

The final public hearing will be held at 7 p.m. Oct. 7 at Blackberry Creek Elementary School,1122 S. Anderson Road, Elburn. Details about the options and maps are available on the school Web site.

School officials will make recommendations to the board of education, which is expected to make a decision in November.