Editor's note: Due to a production error, this story did not appear in the print version of The Sun today (Thurs. 4.24). It is, however, on our web site at napersun.com and an updated story will appear in Friday's print version of the paper and on the web site.
In a reversal of a lower court decision, a federal judge has ruled that a Naperville high school student be allowed to wear a T-shirt that proclaims "Be Happy - Not Gay" at a school sponsored event - on school grounds - that promotes tolerance and diversity. The issue went to court last year when school authorities would not allow the student to wear the T-shirt that they deemed did not fall within the confines of school policy. The federal judge has now made that a moot point and this year the student's voice and T-shirt will be seen and heard. What do you think of the judge's reversal of the decision - is it fair that a slogan of this nature be displayed at a public school or do you disagree?
Late Friday (4.18) the opposition group to District 204's new site for the third high school, "Neighborhood Schools for our Children" or NSFOC, filed a new court motion aimed at halting construction of Metea Valley High School along Eola Rd. The group's sttorney, Shawn Collins, is requesting an expedited trial on May 30. Only problem is that if things go according to the current plan, the district will be roughly three weeks into construction of the third high school by then. Does NSFOC, who all along have insisted the school be built on the Brach-Brodie site, and only Brach-Brodie, have a chance or is this last-minute motion just tilting at windmills? Meanwhile, the outcome is still unknown on the pending lawsuit against the district involving Brach-Brodie. Where do you think this is all going? It's late in the game and the bulldozer drivers are almost ready to start their engines. The comment line is open.
What a difference a couple of days make! As we report in today's Sun (Thurs., 4.17), it sure looks like District 204 is going to have the new high school, Metea Valley, up and running as scheduled by August, 2009. Officials of the district and school board tell us that due to the deal with St. John AME Church, construction will be only a couple of weeks behind, enabling the school to open on time. Plus, with this piece of land - which had been used for agricultural purposes only - there are no worries (as tests have indicated) over any environmental concerns. So, at long last, it looks like everyone will walk away happy. Tell us what you think about these fast-moving developments. The comment line is open.
In the latest twist to the saga of District 204 and the third high school, officials of St. John AME Church have offered to sell the district all 84 acres of its property so that the new high school can be built at the site along Eola Rd. The new development means that the district -even after last week's collapse of the Midwest Generation deal - might be able to build on the planned site after all. School Board president Mark Metzger says he'll be sitting down to talk to the church leaders on Monday (4.14), presumably to discuss the price. Meanwhile, critics of the Eola site, "Neighborhood Schools for Our Children" or NSFOC, remain unsatisfied, fearing environmental concerns relate to the church property as well. It's premature to speculate how this will all pan out, but one thing looks certain: It doesn't appear ground will be broken on any site by mid-April, the date that the district said would ensure the new school opening in August, 2009. Comments, anybody?
Citing "serious public opposition and deep division within the community," power company Midwest Generation said Thursday (4.10) that it won't sell to District 204 the 37 acres it needs for the construction of the third high school at Eola/Molitor Rd. Meanwhile, Superintendent Stephen Daeschner reiterated the district's need for a third high school to ease student overcrowding. The school board says that all options are now on the table, including the building of a smaller version of the high school on the remaining 50 acres. And the opposition group, "Neighborhood Schools for Our Children" or NSFOC, urged for a return to talks over the acquisition of the Brach-Brodie property. Where do you think this is all going to wind up? The comment line is open.
In a mass e-mailing sent out Wednesday (4.9), District 204 superintendent Dr. Stephen Daeschner addressed the matter of the location of the third high school at Eola/Molitor Rd. and for the first time directly confronted the dissident group "Neighborhood Schools for Our Children" or NSFOC, who are suing the school board over the location. Daeschner said in the e-mail that NSFOC was a small group, numbering 200-300 members out of a district of 18,500 families in 55,000 homes, that is spreading "misinformation." Separately, in a Sun story today (Thurs, 4.10) on the "secret" environmental reports that the NSFOC referenced about the site, District 204 explained that - in the district's estimation - there's nothing secret about them at all. The story, headlined on the front page of the paper, can also be found at napersun.com. What do you make of the situation now, after Daeschner's e-mail and the district's explanation of the "secret" reports? We'd like to know.
It's a double whammy for officials of District 204. As we report in today's Sun, (Wed., 4.9), the district is facing a big lawsuit from the Brach-Brodie trust which contends that it lost out on a $40M deal with a real estate investment firm over the BB property due to the district's pulling out of the venture at the last minute. Furthermore, in a scathing letter sent out yesterday, Shawn Collins, attorney for "Neighborhood Schools for Our Children" or NSFOC, provides a litany of grievances about the just-made-public environmental reports. Among them: There are seven secret reports on the third HS site still unreleased; the power lines and pipelines were ignored; only 15 of the site's 87 acres were tested and there was no testing for unreported spills. It looks like the embattled district is fighting a two-front war: One on the fiscal side and the other on the environmental side. Thoughts, anyone?
At long last, District 204 has released the Phase II environmental reports regarding the proposed new site of the district's third high school at Eola/Molitor Rd. In thorough coverage in today's Sun (Tues., 4.8) we look at the report which highlights five "hot spots" or areas that will need clean-up or remediation. They all seems to be located near the site of the old peaker plant that stands in the shadow of the soon-to-be constructed high school. After extensive soil borings and other technical work, the district's consultants reported that the trouble spots could easily be remediated. But what's not clear at this point is who is going to pay for the remediation and at what cost? Meanwhile, a group of parents in the district, "Neighborhood Schools for Our Children" or NSFOC, contend the whole site should be tested for environmental hazards. Currently, the area that has been examined is on the acreage close to the now defunct peaker plant and not the whole site. What will be the next step for the district and the affected parents? The comment line is now open.
After a month-long delay, the District 204 school board is set to release the environmental reports on the new site of the district's third high school planned for Eola/Molitor Road. In an interview with the Sun published today (Thurs. 4.3), board president Mark Metzger says that the consultants who conducted the report found nothing alarming and that the board is "very, very comfortable" with what they've seen. Metzger goes on to explain why the site was deemed unacceptable during the first go-'round and why it will now be considered safe after it's "easily remediated." However, attorney Shawn Collins, who represents the opposition, "Neighborhood Schools For Our Children" (NSFOC), is not convinced. Collins, whose group wants extensive testing on the whole site, contends that these environmental studies usually raise more questions than answers. The discussion line is open.
