LTHS Ties With Entities 'Napalmed': Superintendent

LA GRANGE, IL – In closed meetings in January, Lyons Township High School board members decried misinformation about their plan to sell the school's land in Willow Springs.

At the same time, they said they purposely kept information about the effort from other public bodies.

During the second of two Jan. 23 closed meetings, Superintendent Brian Waterman said the board discussed in an October closed session whether to engage with the village of Willow Springs, Pleasantdale School District 107 and Pleasant Dale Park District about selling the 71 acres. That land, where zoning does not permit industrial uses, is next to houses, an elementary school and parkland.

The high school board decided against engaging with the entities, which all ended up opposing the plan to sell to an industrial buyer.

"The relationship with all three entities is napalmed," Waterman said in the closed meeting. "So if we reintroduce the idea of engaging with them at some level, it's going to have to be very strategic. And we'll have to find an entry point that might be difficult to do, but we can certainly do it."

The high school did not reveal its plan to sell the land until a public announcement at the end of November. A few weeks later, the Pleasantdale school district wanted to meet with high school officials, Waterman said in the closed meeting.

Waterman said he responded that such a meeting would be premature. Then Willow Springs Village President Melissa Neddermeyer sought a meeting between all concerned. Waterman again said such a meeting was premature, but it could be held later.

The superintendent questioned the value of meeting with the other public bodies.

"I think it's the age-old question of 'Is it better to ask someone for their input and do the opposite or is it better not to ask them for their input?'" Waterman said.

He said conversations with the other entities would likely have resulted in a push to seek residential or small retail development, which local zoning would have allowed. Patch reported in another story how school officials believed the village would be hard-pressed to deny an exception for industrial development.

When the school put the wooded land out to bid, its minimum price was $55 million, which reflected an appraisal for industrial uses.

With residential or small retail uses, the school would get far less, probably $15 or $20 million, Waterman said.

Board member Jill Grech said critics of the land sale complained they did not understand what the district was doing. But she said they weren't paying attention.

"There's been nothing but community outreach about the direction of the district," Grech said.

She said the comments from Willow Springs officials at that night's school board meeting were "bonkers." She said the village wanted to avoid making a decision on a request to change the zoning.

The closed session recordings became available last month after the attorney general found the board illegally closed the doors to the public.

During open meetings, members sat stone-faced as residents questioned the sale. The board abandoned the effort in March, weeks before the April board election.

See other stories based on the recordings of the closed-door meetings on Jan. 23:

• LTHS Official Alleges Conspiracy Against School
• Did Election Sway LTHS Board On Willow Springs?
• LTHS Admission: Sale Would Hurt Neighbors
• Official Calls LTHS Comments 'Ignorant'
• Did LTHS Mislead The Public On Willow Springs?
• LTHS Slams Village Behind Closed Doors
• Colleagues Doubt LTHS Official's Conspiracy Theory