District 158 high school near capacity

Sometime in the next year, it will be Huntley Unit District 158 parents - not students - who have to sweat over a multiple-choice exam.

The District 158 school board on Thursday directed district staff to move forward with a planned survey of District 158 residents about the future of Huntley High School.

District estimates show the district's sole high school may be over capacity by the start of the 2013-14 school year, when the school is expected to have more than 2,700 students.

District officials first discussed surveying residents about the high school late last year. But the board decided to hold off on a survey until district staff could determine if last year's enrollment spike would be sustained.

According to first-day enrollment numbers, this year's kindergarten class has about 80 more students than last year's - meaning the district's enrollment growth is not slowing down, at least for now.

The three main options the board has discussed are an addition to the high school, a second high school and a stand-alone freshman academy building.

The new buildings would require a referendum.

Given the latest enrollment jump, board members on Thursday said now is the time to start gathering feedback.

"If the community wants to stay under (2,500 students), now seems like the time to start that process," board member Kevin Gentry said.

Board member Aileen Seedorf suggested the district could wait another year.

"If this decision doesn't have to be made for another year or two, you can still do the survey a year from now," Seedorf said.

But the consensus was to proceed, and administrators said they would return to the board in October with options, including cost estimates, for a survey.