Oswego Mom Concerned About First Draft of District 308's Boundary Plans

OSWEGO, IL — An Oswego mom is concerned after learning about the first draft of District 308’s boundary redrawing plans, but it's not just about where her kids are going, it's the lack of transparency from the District.

Alysha Millard has three children in Oswego schools: one in high school, one in middle school and one in elementary school.

At first, Millard didn’t think the boundary changes would affect her or her kids.

“I’m in a rural area and I’m so close to Hunt Club, which has plenty of room for growth,” Millard said. “To my surprise, my area was shifted in a whole other direction.”

As of now, her kids have always attended Hunt Club Elementary and then went on to Traughber Junior High and then Oswego High School. With the District’s first draft of the boundary plans, she fears her kids will be pulled from their schools.

If the first draft became the final draft, according to Millard, her kids would attend Grande Park Elementary, Murphy Junior High and Oswego East, although she’s hoping that her high school student will be grandfathered in and not have to change schools.

“My eighth-grader, who is currently at Traughber, goes to East based on the proposal as of now,” Millard said.

According to Millard, a person at the last meeting took a photo of the first draft of the map and was told not to do so.

Millard said she understands this is just a first draft and not set in stone, but she feels the District should let other people know about it outside of those who go to the meeting.

“They’re not allowing for the public to see an idea and then share their concerns regarding it. I understand that this is a first draft, but everyone has the right to know what the first draft looks like so then they can have a discussion about it for the second or third draft,” she said.

Boundary Advisory Committee Co-Chair Lauri Doyle said in an email that the maps will not give anyone useful information because they would become obsolete before they are posted.

"Keeping the public informed is a priority for us based on the ability to give the public accurate information. We do not want to misinform the public based on obsolete maps," Doyle said in an email. "The public is welcome to attend all meetings and watch the work in progress. Judging the results right now isn't really possible, the committee needs to finish their work first."

Doyle also confirmed that a person had taken a photo at the last meeting and said the announcement to not take photos was made to allow the committee to work uninterrupted by the audience during meetings.

Doyle said the public may comment on what they like related to boundaries during public comment, "which is different than commenting on proposals during the public forums."

A date for when a tentative map will be released before the public comment meetings in November has not yet been shared with Doyle, but she said she's sure there is one.