What La Grange Dispute Means For Tennis Courts

LA GRANGE, IL – The tennis courts next to Gurrie Middle School in La Grange remain closed, but the school district hopes to reopen them, an official said Monday.

Last week, the Park District of La Grange's board voted to settle a dispute with La Grange School District 105 over the courts. The school board is set to consider the agreement next week.

The school district owns the three courts, while the park district got to use them. That arrangement ended July 1, when the park board decided to end a 30-year-old agreement with the school district.

Because of the courts' condition, the school said in a notice in July, they would be closed until further notice.

In an interview Monday, Superintendent Brian Ganan said the district had no definite answer on the courts. But he said the district hoped to resurface them.

"We're really going to try," he said.

He said the district has gone out to bid and will find out the costs for the project.

The school district doesn't use the tennis courts as part of its curriculum, Ganan said. However, cross country runners sometimes use the courts to stretch, but that can be done somewhere else, he said.

Under the settlement, the park and school districts are not allowed to disparage each other on the tennis courts issue. And the school district would be required to take down the signs that suggest the park district left the courts in bad shape.

Over the summer, 450 signed a Change.org petition to save the tennis courts.

The park district also has tennis courts at Gilbert and Sedgwick parks.