Boundary Changes Approved

The boundary between Prairie Ridge and Cary-Grove high schools will be different beginning with the 2011-2012 school year.

Community High School District 155 board approved the proposed change to its boundaries with a 6-0 vote at its October 19 board meeting after several months of discussion, public comment and a positive recommendation from the boundary committee.

Board Vice President Dr. Gary Oberg was absent.

Boundary changes will occur to the north of the current boundary as well as a small shift to the west near the southern portion of the district boundary. This change would allow the district to send all Cary Community Consolidated School District 26 students to Cary-Grove High School.

"We received a great deal of public comment on both sides of the issue and some very passionate pleas for some variances to the proposal," Superintendent Dr. Jill Hawk said.

Two issues raised to the board based on a large number of public comment were a request to allow families to continue sending siblings to Prairie Ridge as a type of legacy program and to allow current freshman in the affected area the option to switch to Cary-Grove at the semester rather than wait out the remainder of this school year.

The board added in the legacy option in the motion which was passed. They will continue to look into the possibility of allowing freshman students to shift at semester, but district and school administration admit they do not think it would be an easy idea to implement well.

Under the legacy option, if an older sibling is attending Prairie Ridge the younger sibling has a choice to attend Prairie Ridge, beyond the earlier proposed seventh grade cutoff, as long as they will be at Prairie Ridge High School concurrently. They will have to provide their own transportation unless a current bus route already exists.

Hawk advised the legacy program was outlined as such in part due to IHSA regulations. If a younger student from outside of their school boundary area had been allowed to attend Prairie Ridge under the legacy program without an older sibling attending concurrently, the IHSA would not allow that student to participate in any school sponsored extracurricular activities including sports and clubs.

Hawk also indicated the district was unwilling to maintain costly additional bus routes for those children, so parents would have to agree to provide their own transportation for those students.

"This is a tough thing (changing school boundaries)," Board President Ted Wagner said. "As a board we realize that. Personally, I think it's the right thing. I think adding in the legacy factor – if it is something we can accommodate I think it's wonderful. "

With the boundary issue resolved, the district will begin sending out enrollment packets next week to the effected families of students currently enrolled in eighth grade through junior year. The families will then have until December 1, 2010 to make a decision on which school they will attend next school year.