District 204: No changes in sibling policy for high schools

Despite a renewed plea from some parents, Indian Prairie officials say they won't pursue any policy to ensure siblings share the same high school for the next two years.

Instead, Unit District 204 leaders said they will follow the same transition process in opening the new Metea Valley High School in Aurora that they used when Neuqua Valley High School opened in 1997 in south Naperville. That policy will affect 44 students at Neuqua and about 100 students at Waubonsie Valley.

Students who were eighth-graders and freshmen this past year and who live in an attendance area where high school boundaries have changed will move to their new high schools in August.

Students who were sophomores or juniors this past year will remain at their existing high schools.

There will be no "grandfathering" of students who are scheduled to move to allow them to stay with older siblings at their current high school, officials said.

School board President Curt Bradshaw said it is simply too late in the game to change course.

"As someone who advocated for a sibling policy last October, I can honestly say that the door to that possibility is now firmly closed," Bradshaw said Wednesday. "Since that time, students have registered for class, school schedules have been developed, and staff has been allocated and assigned to each building based on those schedules."

Superintendent Stephen Daeschner said of the roughly 150 affected students, only 33 families have requested their siblings remain together.

"We've granted nine of those requests but most of those situations involve special education requirements, or were done per doctors' requests," he said. "But as far as a policy change goes, it's not on the agenda and there is no change. Nothing has changed. We've been consistent all along."

Families like the Wilhelms and Meyers, both of whom have placed their homes on the market to move back into the newly established Neuqua boundaries, are holding out hope something may change, however.

Ron and Janet Wilhelm have two sons currently wrapping up their freshman and sophomore years at Neuqua. Next year, however, the freshman will begin his sophomore year at Waubonsie after spending his first year bonding with his older brother.

"The emotional toll this is taking on our boys is really troubling because they don't want to be split up. So we're just trying to cope," Janet Wilhelm said. "This should be our choice but our decision-making has been taken away from us. Now the only choice we have is to sell our house to change our boundaries and we shouldn't have to do that."

Patrick Meyer also has his family home on the market in hopes of keeping his son and daughter together for their respective senior and sophomore years at Neuqua.

"Besides time and expense, the biggest issue for us is that next year will be the final year both my kids will live in the same house before my son joins the Marines," Meyer said. "As a family unit, we feel violated. We're a very close family and we would like to stay close."

Meyer said he will not accept any answer from the district that mentions overcrowding at either school. He said he believes both schools can absorb about 50 students, covering three grade levels.

"Please don't use this argument as it shows a total disregard for my children, my family and my intelligence," Meyer said.

But for Daeschner and board members, it's the only answer they have.

"First and foremost, we don't have room at Waubonsie so that presents a huge problem," Daeschner said. "This is also what we've done historically and it's also what the board passed way back in (October)."

Newly elected board member Dawn DeSart said she changed her mind on the issue after reviewing building capacity reports and now believes it's not feasible to keep siblings together.

"Based on the capacity numbers that I received - and the fact that none of those (district officials) I questioned could come up with an equitable end year for the sibling policy, I felt as though it was not feasible," DeSart said. "Would the siblings stay together just for the 2009-2010 school year? Would it go on forever, like a 'legacy' sibling plan? What about students who don't have a younger sibling, and would prefer to stay at their current high school: is it fair to them?"

The district already has announced plans to stagger times and dates of major events such as curriculum night and the Fine Arts Festival. Activity busses also will run between the schools and the neighborhoods to help ease some of the driving for parents of active students.

Deputy Superintendent Kathryn Birkett is expected to update board members on other aspects of the plan during a 5 p.m. meeting Monday at district headquarters, 780 Shoreline Drive in Aurora.