Reavis High School Board Votes to Accept Queen of Peace Students Outside District Boundaries

BURBANK, IL -- In an unprecedented departure from policy, the Reavis High School Dist. 220 Board of Education passed a resolution Tuesday night to accept current Queen of Peace High School students for the 2017-2018 to the 2019-2020 academic years.

The 55-year-old Catholic girls’ high school in Burbank announced in January that it would be closing at the end of the current academic school year. By passing the resolution, the D220 school board is making an exception to board policy to accept Peace students residing outside the district’s attendance boundaries.

“As a Burbank neighbor to Queen of Peace, the Reavis Board of Education acknowledges that it will miss their strong presence within our community.” the board said in a joint written statement. “These families have now been put in the unenviable position of having to search for a new high school where their daughters can feel at home. These students deserve to attend a high school where they are comfortable, safe, welcomed and encouraged to grow and mature into fine young women ready to face the world upon graduation.”

Due to the extraordinary circumstances of the closing of Queen of Peace High School, a tuition fee of $8,500 will assessed to applicable Peace students who live outside of the school district.

“Reavis High School offers the highest quality academic programs, as well as stellar athletics and activities to all students. Therefore, the Board welcomes the opportunity to assist Queen of Peace students and offers them the option to complete their high school years in the same community where they started it,” the school board’s written statement continued.

The Burbank public high school invites interested Queen of Peace students and parents to a meeting and tour of Reavis’ facilities on Tuesday, Feb. 28. Peace students and their parents will meet at 7 p.m. in the Raymond G. Erbes Library. The meeting and tour will be hosted by the Reavis High School administration and school board who “look forward to showcasing what being a Reavis Ram is all about.”

Earlier this month, adjacent St. Laurence High School for boys announced that it would accept Peace students. The Catholic high school plans to teach boys and girls in separate classrooms, out of respect for students who wanted the experience and benefits of attending a single-gender school. Beginning in the fall of 2021, St. Laurence plans to become a co-ed Catholic high school.

Reavis High School is located at 6034 W. 77th St., Burbank.

Photo courtesy of Burbank Beat