St. Charles parents ask to pick schools

A group of parents admonished the St. Charles school board Monday over the attendance boundary changes that they say have unnecessarily split neighborhoods.

They told board members to provide waivers to families desiring to send their children to the school buildings they originally were to attend.

"If a family's child is one of the many children that are unhappy that they have been reassigned, they may invoke the waiver and undo the damage done by this unnecessary and ill-conceived re-boundary," parent Ed Fiala told board members in requesting the voluntary waivers.

The parents, primarily from Fox Mill and other neighborhoods in Campton Hills, objected that students were moved from Bell-Graham School to Richmond School, and from St. Charles North High School to East High School.

Their appearance before the board was spurred by revelations that the board's boundary decisions were based on enrollment projections that recently have been determined to be incorrect.

Rather than increasing as projected, the district's enrollment is tapering off.

"The process the board went through was flawed," Superintendent Don Schlomann said of the studies that predicted increases in the student population, and caused the board to make the boundary changes.

"To now discover that the district is not facing the capacity crisis alleged, but instead will be facing declining enrollment, adds insult to injury," Fiala told board members.

Parent Glori Dejure said she had expected the board to take action when it realized that the projections were wrong.

"I don't think we should have to be here begging you to help these kids," Dejure said.

Parents Sue George and Laura Anderson each suggested to board members that parents will not support future referendum initiatives if the district does not deal with the issue.

"Trust is what is needed for a successful referendum in the future," George said. "Do right by our children."

Fiala said parents are not asking the board to force children to change schools again.

"If a family decides they are pleased with their reassignment, they can continue to attend the school they currently attend," Fiala said.