Heavy-handed answer to school crowding

Wheaton Warrenville Unit District 200 administrators’ proposed “solution” for Franklin Middle School overcrowding (and their implementation of it) smacks of heavy-handedness, hidden motives, poor prioritization, arrogance, discrimination, incompetence, deception, and cowardice. But it’s hard to say which word best explains how administrators came to their decision.

“Heavy-handedness” best describes the proposal’s implementation. The problem has been brewing for years, but administrators hope to ram their destructive nonsolution through in two months without any real discussion, thereby freezing parents out of the process.

The proposal involves separating a few unlucky children from all of their classmates and sending them to Monroe. By administrators’ own calculations, it won’t solve Franklin overcrowding. (Incompetence.) But the proposal affects only an unincorporated neighborhood and apartments. (Discrimination.) A better solution would affect more students, which could mean more frustrated parents. (Cowardice.)

Does a better solution exist that keeps kids together? Yes, but it requires several more buses. “Too expensive,” administrators assured us, but four buses (0.05 percent of the budget) are, relatively speaking, quite cheap. (Deception.) Unless keeping kids together is not important. (Poor prioritization.) What’s the real goal here? (Hidden motives.)

Seeking to understand administrators’ reasoning, I submitted a Freedom of Information (FOIA) request for all documents related to their proposal. They sent me four pages with calculations pertaining to the apartments. Do all unpleasant solutions begin and end with the apartments? (Discrimination.) But administrators stated on record that they considered several other options. (Deception.) Did they not trouble themselves with calculations involving those other options? (Incompetence.) Or did they just feel no need to comply with Illinois state law regarding my FOIA request? (Arrogance.)

School districts were formed for the sake of children, but this decision smacks of a reversed logic. Perhaps our school board can remind district administrators of where their proper priorities ought to lie.

Brian Wells

Wheaton

Horrified by anti-meter flier

A flyer against smart meters being installed in Naperville recently showed up at my door. While there are legitimate reasons to be concerned about the meters, I was simultaneously amused and horrified to see the flyer proclaiming the radiation from the meters is a health risk.

Visible light is a more energetic form of radiation than wireless devices use, and studies of people claiming adverse affects from wireless transmitters have proved it nothing more than a placebo effect (they would experience symptoms only when told a device was on, independent of when said device was actually activated).

We all know UV rays are harmful, and X-rays more so — but until that threshold in the UV spectrum, electromagnetic radiation has no harmful effects (absorbing such radiation merely heats your body).

Just as the word “chemical” is a scientific term that can refer to mundane things like water, radiation does not necessarily refer to harmful energy or particles.

Tim Murphy

Naperville

Wheaton College professor case tragic

The news of a professor of Christian Education at Wheaton College charged with child pornography possession is tragic. It symbolizes the clinical employee issues organizations continue to face. It raises questions about how we screen people for positions of influence over children.

Are there not hints of deviant behavior observable by those who lead schools or churches? To what degree might a cloak of silence have contributed to the denial of this dirty little secret practiced by one who authored books on childhood spirituality? How did a missionary, pastor and professor fool so many people for so long?

Thank God for web-watchdogs and police sting operations who catch this stuff. As we find ourselves in Lent, if there is any way out of this mess, might it not be found in another criminal executed on a Roman tool of death whose sacrificed life makes forgiveness of my neighbor possible, when I don’t feel like offering it.

Paul O. Bischoff

Wheaton

Two good choices for county board

DuPage County Board members have a very important responsibility to the communities within the county. In county board District 2, there are no incumbents running for re-election. District 2 will have three new members.

There is an impressive field of eight candidates running for these three seats. With so many excellent choices, I would like to recommend two candidates with whom I’ve had an opportunity to work with and know very well.

Trustee Zachary Wilson of Lombard has been an extremely impressive colleague of mine on the Lombard village board. He is a proven fiscal watchdog who has scrutinized all village expenditures, line by line in our local budget. He has made our entire board better through his efforts.

Commissioner Michael Loftus of Lisle is an equally impressive candidate who has served on the DuPage County zoning board for many years. He’s logical, thoughtful and has outstanding leadership skills.

There are many excellent choices and you are voting for three members this time. Both Zachary Wilson and Michael Loftus are especially well qualified. Please consider them highly recommended as two of your three very precious choices.

Laura Fitzpatrick

Lombard

Schools could be small businesses

I was reflecting on the hardship that many schools are enduring, especially in Chicago. My thoughts are this: if some of these schools could incorporate as small businesses with the students as share holders/stock holders I think that that would give them an incentive to stay in school.

The harsh reality about life is that many students do not have the love and support of their families. They go from a safe environment back to a stressful life. If they could live at the school during the week and have three meals a day I think that a lot of these problems that they are having would be ameliorated or just disappear.

Of course, the weekends would be theirs to go home and have their own life but at least they would not have to fear anything five days of the week while living at the schools. I feel for these young people. I was a teacher and my heart goes out to them.

Valerie Benson

Warrenville