Major 'Vulnerability' At Pleasantdale Elementary Must Be Addressed: Official

WILLOW SPRINGS, IL – Three incidents show that a "significant vulnerability" exists at Pleasantdale Elementary School in Willow Springs, an official says.

The school, which serves Burr Ridge and Willow Springs students, has only one point of entry and exit. It is School Street, which is a narrow road that poses a safety risk during emergencies, said Tarryne Marchione, president of Pleasantdale School District 107's board.

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Marchione made the statements in a letter last year to the Lyons Township High School board. Patch obtained the document through a public records request.

"We have explored several options to mitigate this concern, including modifying traffic patterns to alleviate congestion and implementing staggered start times," Marchione said in the letter. "However, these measures have proven insufficient."

In 2024, the issue became "alarmingly clear" when a high-speed car chase that started in Oak Brook ended at the elementary school, she said.

In another incident that year, a house fire on School Street created an unsafe situation for students and staff, Marchione said. And the school went on lockdown after authorities responded to a report of a suspicious person with a weapon, she said.

"In all three cases, first responders were delayed due to the bottleneck on School Street, highlighting the critical need for a secondary access point," she said.

To address the problem, the district was looking to work with the Pleasant Dale Park District, which owns land next to the school, for a new entry point from Howard Street, Marchione said.

That would require moving the existing playground and making substantial infrastructure improvements, she said.

In the letter to the high school board, Marchione offered $320,000 for an acre of the high school's 74 acres near the school. The deal later happened.

"This parcel would enable critical safety upgrades for our students (and your future students) should the need for emergency access ever arise," Marchione said.

According to the letter, the elementary district originally considered buying 7 acres, but the high school's price was $3 million, or $428,000 per acre.

That price, Marchione said, "unfortunately exceeds what is financially feasible."

In an interview Wednesday, Pleasantdale Superintendent Dave Palzet said the district is still looking at ways for first responders to get to the school.

A larger parcel, he said, would have made it easier to get another access point.

The purchase of the one acre gives Pleasantdale "a seat at the table" as the high school renews its bid to sell the rest of the land.

The high school's effort has been mired in controversy for years.