'We did nothing wrong': Voices growing louder as District 204 officials inch closer to boundary decisions
As Indian Prairie Unit District 204 officials inch closer to finalizing plans for redrawing enrollment boundaries, concerned parents continue to make their voices heard.
Twenty-six speakers signed up to comment about the plans at last week's school board meeting, most representing the elementary schools facing the biggest impact. With one of the last boundary committee meetings scheduled for Wednesday and a trio of community forums slated for early November, the voices are only getting louder.
While acknowledging the difficult work facing the boundary committee, the school board and Superintendent Adrian Talley, some parents and students are growing frustrated as they see concept plans aiming to close some schools, repurpose others and disrupt established feeder lines from elementary schools to middle schools and high schools.
Parents at Welch Elementary School are worried about feeding into Waubonsie Valley High School instead of their current high school, Neuqua Valley. One of the plans calls for the closing and repurposing of Clow and Graham elementary schools, bringing out another large contingent of parents. A parent from Builta Elementary School remind the board not to forget about the needs of its Bolingbrook families.
District 204 officials face a massive jigsaw puzzle to meet the needs of more than 26,000 students in 33 schools spread over 46 square miles in Aurora, Naperville, Bolingbrook and Plainfield.
"Our boundary process is just that: a process," Talley said at a recent meeting. "Though I know people review our concepts each week, everyone needs to remember that what is presented often changes the next time we meet."
Until the process is over - the school board plans to vote on a boundary plan at its Jan. 10 meeting - tensions will remain high.
"We did nothing wrong," said Clow Elementary School parent Jose Leon Jr. "What concerns me is (district officials) knew that closing schools was not going to be a popular option ... and yet (they) are still keeping that option open and on the table."
The process began in April when consultants RSP and Associates developed an enrollment study detailing overcrowded and underutilized schools. The study found the district's current enrollment is expected to drop by about 1,000 by the 2025-26 school year.
According to the study, population shifts in the last decade will lead to overcrowding in the next five years at three elementary schools, three middle schools and Metea Valley High School. More than a dozen elementary schools, four middle schools and Neuqua Valley are expected to be under 75% capacity.
Because of the projected enrollment imbalances, the board decided now was the time for the first major redrawing of boundaries since Metea Valley opened in 2009. A boundary committee of about 60 members was formed and included representatives from each of the district's schools.
Based on committee suggestions, RSP and Associates developed concept plans that changed over time. One plan was removed, leaving plans currently known as Concept 1 and Concept 3.
For months, Talley has tried to reassure the community the concepts are fluid and open to change based on feedback and analysis. As he said at a recent meeting, the plans are "etched in Jell-O."
After Wednesday's meeting, though, the boundary committee meets one last time on Dec. 8. There are community forums on Nov. 8, 9 and 10 at each of the three high schools, and then the school board will conduct a workshop in December to discuss the committee recommendations.
If the plan is approved in January, the boundary changes could take effect as early as the 2022-23 school year.
"Closing schools during a pandemic is not in the best interest of our children," said Graham Elementary School parent Becky Thorn. "It is like kicking them when they're already down."