Judge says he'll rule next week on Metea Valley site

Ready. Set. Wait one more week.

Those were essentially the directions given Friday by DuPage County Circuit Judge Kenneth Popejoy to attorneys representing Indian Prairie Unit District 204 and its opposing parents group, Neighborhood Schools for Our Children.

Popejoy, half-jokingly, told both parties he would "destroy" his long Memorial Day weekend by scouring every last detail in the case before deciding whether to dismiss the group's lawsuit against the school district over its site selection for the proposed Metea Valley High School.

That decision, he said, will be written and "in the attorneys' hands" by noon Friday.

"There's just too much information that I had, too many questions that I had, to issue a ruling today," Popejoy said. "That being said, I understand the urgency of both parties and I appreciate the work they've done."

The two sides will meet again in the first week of June to discuss his ruling.

The grass-roots group is suing the district in an attempt to prevent it from spending any more money to build the 3,000-student Metea Valley High School along Eola Road, south of Diehl Road in Aurora.

Work already has begun on that site and the district has said it plans to open most of the campus in August 2009 to house freshmen and sophomores. District leaders said the school, which eventually will serve all four grade levels, is needed to ease crowding at Neuqua Valley and Waubonsie Valley high schools.

But opponents want the district to use the $127.4 million voters approved in 2006 to purchase the Brach-Brodie property off 75th Street and Commons Drive and build the school there.

Both sites are in Aurora.

Short of that, the residents' attorney, Shawn Collins, told Popejoy he would at least like to see the district be forced to put the question of a third high school on the ballot again, now that voters know where it is most likely to go.

Both parties left court Friday afternoon pleased with Popejoy's decision to "spend more time" with the case.

"Everyone should be so lucky to have Judge Popejoy overseeing their case," Collins said upon leaving the courtroom. "He has promised to take the time to review the material very seriously. We can't ask for anything more."

District attorney Michael Scotti, also complimentary to Popejoy, said both sides will benefit from the extended time being given to review the files.

"No matter who wins this thing, it's going to be appealed," Scotti said. "So it can only be positive for everyone that the court is getting all of the information it needs."