District 113A Requests Rezoning Of Central School

LEMONT, IL — District 113A is seeking to rezone Central School, which has been closed since 2011. In a letter to the community, Superintendent Courtney Orzel said the district is seeking rezoning so it could rent the school to a variety of community groups while it remains vacant.

According to planning and zoning commission documents, Central School is currently zoned R-4 (single-family preservation and infill district) and the district is requesting rezoning to INT (institutional district).

Orzel said the zoning would also allow the district to reopen the building as a school in the future.

The school board voted to close Central in spring 2011, based on a need for a sound long-range plan and to ensure fiscal responsibility.

The planning and zoning commission will meet Feb. 5 to discuss the rezoning, and they will give their recommendation to the village board. The village board will then discuss the rezoning at a future board meeting.

"There are no plans to reopen Central School for the 2020-21 school year," Orzel said in the letter. However, she added that the board of education has been doing a facility study of Central to determine options for the future.

The district is studying options due to its space constraints and increasing enrollment. In her letter, Orzel said D113A's average class size is one of the highest in the state.