Tinley Park Mom Provides Viable Solution to Lincoln-Way 210 Financial Mess

Reorganization of Lincoln-Way 210 Consolidated High School District holds the key to long-term financial stability, Elizabeth Sands of Frankfort told the Board of Education at Thursday's meeting.

After acknowledging the time limit for residents to speak during public comment, Sands concisely outlined a few benefits of "reorg" and asked Board members to think about the idea, which has many benefits to the taxpayers and children of the district.

Sands told the Board that a reorg could immediately remove the District from the State's Financial Watch List and provide a long term solution to a problem that will likely persist for decades.

The full context of speech here:

"What I am here to talk about tonight is a solution to our dilemma. Let me reiterate – a SOLUTION to our dilemma, one that could remove the stain of the watch list from our shirts and provide immediate cash resources. This solution is probably not something that any school district administrator would suggest. This solution would most likely come from the community and their elected school boards.

I am going to speak about this in three parts: first I will provide some background and context, second I will go over the solution and third I will briefly talk about what the solution will provide this community. I only have five minutes so this will be extremely high level.

First the background: There is a symbiotic relationship within our community. Symbiosis in this context means: a “mutually beneficial relationship between different people or groups”. As one part of this community finds success so does the rest, if one part of the community struggles the rest will too. We all depend on one another. In the context of this speech it is in terms of the K-8 districts and the high school district. Lincoln-Way is the one common bond. Many people move here for the high school district first and then determine the specific area based on other reasons. Right now that common bond is in trouble and the road to recovery could be very long, perhaps decades or more.

So what is this solution? We need to explore district re-organization. Now before you dismiss it please listen closely because this really could be a solution. There are many different forms of this that should all be explored and the research isn’t all that expensive to do. I need to be honest here, when I first heard about this last summer I was vehemently against this subject. But I also feel that if someone is passionate about something then you should at least do them the courtesy of finding out why because you might learn something and they may change your mind. So I did listen and they did change my mind. In fact the concept is already supported by at least the New Lenox Mayor who provided this support to me in person and again to his constituents on February 26th of this year. This is a very real and very viable solution to our current problem. Why you ask? What will reorganizing our districts give us?

I am going to list off a few of the possible advantages: First, we would need less money, initial estimates put it at about $15 million in total – annually – compared to what the tax burden is today. Second, we would be able to take the best of breed in our schools as it relates to everything from curriculum to fiscal discipline. Third, we would be able to leverage the existing financial resources of the combined districts and reduce our borrowing cost. Fourth, Lincoln-Way would instantly be off the state’s watch list. Fifth, the area could re-brand itself to the rest of the world and start anew leaving behind the stigma created over the last year.

This is not about a building it is about economics. There are so many more advantages to this solution that I just do not have the time to share. Before you ignore this please consider something else. If it is a real solution that could – in ONE single year fix all of our current problems – and you reject it in favor of an option that may doom us to decades of painful recovery instead then that is something you will have to rationalize. Because in my opinion the current solution may stop the very thing we desperately need to get out of this mess – growth.

Moving students today may prevent this solution from being explored for many years and make the recovery something that even our grandchildren will shoulder. Stop this now and at a minimum take some time to research this before a single student is moved.

In closing I would like you to ponder the following – why would you turn down a solution that could fix this? What is possibly out there in the Lincoln-Way galaxy that prevents you from trying something that could in reality save us?"