District 203 leaders fielding calls, e-mails from concerned parents

Naperville Unit District 203 administrators were kept busy Wednesday talking to parents about the enrollment of a student accused of sexually abusing a classmate at his former school.

Superintendent Alan Leis said the school day at Lincoln Junior High, where the new student is enrolled, proceeded without incident.

Earlier this week, a 12-year-old transfer student left Gregory Middle School in neighboring Indian Prairie Unit District 204 and enrolled at Lincoln. He is one of two students from Gregory charged with felony counts of criminal sexual abuse and criminal sexual assault stemming from an alleged attack on an 11-year-old classmate. Police say the incident occurred in November at a home on Naperville's south side.

District 203 officials sent a Talk203 e-mail to Lincoln parents Tuesday night confirming that the student, who has a parent residing in the district, is now enrolled at Lincoln. The situation already had become a hot-button issue in Indian Prairie.

District 203 administrators said they have a plan in place that will protect both the accused boy and other students at Lincoln.

Leis estimated he and his senior staff had received about 25 e-mails and 15 phone calls about the situation by mid-afternoon Wednesday.

"Anger, concern, questions, a couple people say they understand completely why we're doing what we're doing, so it's run the whole gamut," Leis said.

He said he planned to meet with Principal Pam George Wednesday afternoon and said he would continue to stay in contact with school staff.

"The report we have is things went quite well (Wednesday) at the school, no incidents, no issues at all," he said. "The goal is for staff at central office to talk ... to parents and for school folks to concentrate on having a good school environment."