Why Sudden Openness From LTHS?

LA GRANGE, IL – The state's open records law may be the reason why Lyons Township High School, seemingly out of the blue, provided information this week on an offer for its land in Willow Springs.

On Monday, the school board issued a statement about its controversial effort to sell its Willow Springs land.

Much of the information in the message was contained in previous statements. The one addition, though, was that San Francisco-based Prologis offered $60.5 million for the property on Feb. 17, more than a month ago.

That bid exceeded the previous high bid of $55 million, the minimum price, from Bridge Industrial.

It was not clear why the board decided to release the information on Prologis' bid. The statement was hours before the school board's regular meeting.

As it happens, after the meeting, the school released documents related to the Willow Springs land, including the offer letter from Prologis, to a resident who filed a public records request. Perhaps the district wanted to put out the information before others did.

Patch has left messages for comment with Superintendent Brian Waterman and the school's spokeswoman, Mary Lin Muscolino.

The board announced earlier this month it had abandoned its effort to sell the land for now, saying it would develop a new minimum price and terms and conditions.

The land's zoning bars industrial uses, though the school set a price geared toward industrial developers. That has drawn the opposition of five towns, a school district and a park district.

For two months, all seven board members have stayed silent at meetings about the land issue, instead issuing periodic written statements.

Recently, the school admitted it broke the state's open meetings law repeatedly when the board met behind closed doors to discuss the land sale last year. The acknowledgment was in response to a complaint filed with the attorney general's office, which is investigating.