Lincoln-Way 210 Board Opts to Close Lincoln-Way North

Lincoln-Way North High School will be shuttered for the 2016-17 school year and likely years to come after a vote by the District 210 Board of Education Thursday night before a standing-room-only audience packed into the 900-seat LW Central High School auditorium.

Central, the oldest school in the district at 61 years, was spared by the board, though two members, Christine Glatz and Dee Molinare, bucked their colleagues and voted to close Central instead of North.

The final vote was 5-2, with Arvid Johnson, Chris Kosel, Ron Lullo, Chris McFadden and Board President Kevin Molloy voting to shutter the school on Harlem Avenue that opened with much fanfare on Aug. 3, 2008. LW North serves students from Frankfort Square, Tinley Park, and parts of Mokena and Frankfort.

LW West in New Lenox opened a year after North.

”We owe it to you the taxpayers to keep three schools open. I personally am committed to keeping three schools open, and that those three include two state-of-the-art facilities,” Glatz said.

Molinare agreed, saying she’d be eager to ”scratch and claw” to find money to cut to keep the two newest schools open. Glatz noted that closing Central would offer the largest cost savings, second to closing LW East. The board voted to take East out of consideration early in the meeting, however, shortly after voting not to close two schools.

Closing a school will save the district about $5.2 million a year. When district finances improve and the administration stops deficit spending, the state could remove LW 210 from the financial watch list.

But other variables also come into play, financial factors outside of the board’s control. LW 210 board members fear that if the state enacts a property-tax freeze, pushes pension costs onto local schools or changes the school-funding formula, the district could find itself continuing to fall short on cash.

And if that happens, the district might need to close a second school.

To start the evening, students from North and Central pleaded with the board to spare their school. Parents urged the board to make a sound financial choice, and shared their views on the conclusions they drew from the data. A taxpayer raised questions about the board’s sizable end-of-career salary boosts to pad teacher and administrator pensions, which resulted in hefty fines for the district.

After gaveling the meeting to order, Board President Kevin Molloy called for civility and courtesy from the audience. Molloy has been stung by the criticism, anger and vitriol roiling in the community regarding the decision and the view in many parts of the district that the board has not been forthcoming or transparent in its actions. On several occasions throughout the evening, he reiterated his comments about respect and civility.

After the decision was rendered, there were tears in the auditorium and tears in the hallway from parents and students alike. And there were promises from several in the audience that they would not soon forget this decision.

“We’re going to go forward because there’s no justification to close North with the numbers,” said Elizabeth Burghard. “They’re not done with us. We have too many numbers to back up that this should not be our solution.

“Our intelligence was really underestimated. ... This has been the rumor mill since May, and we’re told that no decisions have been made. This board has just proven once again that the rumor mill is very active and very accurate in this school district. ... They have cemented the fact that we do indeed need to pay attention to rumors.”

Patch reported on May 5 that LW North was on the chopping block. At the time, district officials denied that formal discussions were taking place, but sources told Patch that North was being talked about among district leaders for several weeks as the school that must close.

The two new schools were built to accommodate a building boom that did not materialize due to recession. Enrollment was projected to reach 9,000 students. Today, 7,134 students attend classes in Lincoln-Way 210: 1,304 at West; 1,742 at North; 1,899 at Central; and 2,188 at East.

But without economic and residential growth, additional property tax dollars did not materialize. Without new students, additional state aid did not, either. The district landed on the Financial Watch List this spring after years of spending down its cash reserve to operate four schools.

Patch live-blogged Thursday’s night’s decision in real-time. Here is an edited version of how the meeting unfolded.

7 p.m. Meeting Begins

First to speak was Matt Maguire, sophomore at Lincoln-Way Central.

“Our main concern is to keep our graduating class together. We would like the opportunity to finish off our high school careers with the class that we started it with. Everyone that graduates will be a Knight, Griffin, Phoenix, Warrior. ... All four schools each student started in will always be a part of them, no matter what.”

He stresses relationships made through sports, classes, clubs, and asks the board to keep those ties in tact.

The next commenter, Jay Curatolo, an LW North parent, asks for the board to implement Central Option C, closing LW Central, saying the process has “fractured the entire Lincoln-way community.” He said numbers were manipulated to make schools appear as though on equal playing field in terms of potential savings.

He says the process has been “far less than transparent.”

“We will not be had,” Curatolo said. “I implore you to stand your ground in the face of pressure. ... If never before, this is the time that justice and doing what is right must be prevail. ... This will define Lincoln-Way.

“I am begging you to spare Lincoln-Way North from closure. ... I have faith in you. I believe in you.”

Tim Conway, president of the Lincoln-Way Education Association speaks next.

“We as a district need to move forward, and we have to start tonight,” he said. “To many in the LW community, the revelations of the last few months have come as a great surprise.”

He adds that he believes Superintendent R. Scott Tingley, who was principal at LW East before taking over as superintendent in 2013, has conducted himself in an “honest manner” throughout the process, and that the problem will not be solved overnight.

“The teachers of this district will continue to prepare your students to the utmost of our ability,” he said. “Regardless of what campus they are at, or what campus they came from.”

Commenter Liz Sanz implores the board to “make a decision that will last. No more betting on potential growth, gambling on the economy. No more gambling on the hope that outside factors will save us. Make a commitment now, tonight.”

Another commenter, Bill Trafton, asks about the district’s spending on salary bumps to pad teacher and administrator salaries, moves which resulted in hefty penalties from the state.

7:30 p.m. Public Comment Ends

After comments, the board moves to its action agenda. First up for a vote is how the district’s attendance criteria will be redefined: by feeder school attendance or by geographical boundaries.

Board member Ron Lullo stresses that regardless of where the members live, they represent the Lincoln-Way community equally. Lullo addresses statements that property values will be impacted by a closure, by stating that board members will experience the same effects on their properties.

“We’re all in this together, we’re on the same page,” Lullo said. ”I’m not turning my back. I’m supporting this board moving forward. We’re going to make this decision that will affect everyone in this room. I decided to run for this position. Not my son, not my daughter, not my wife. In the future, if you have issues with anyone, address them to me. I’m the one who decided to run for this position, not them. Leave my family out of this. Deal with me.

“Let’s be professional about this, and let’s move on. ... Appreciate that as a board, we’re in this with you. It’s not ‘us and them.’ ... I’m hoping to keep three schools open. My goal is to keep three schools open. I don’t want to do this again either, folks.”

One concern with splitting feeder schools is maintaining consistency across curricula. Board member Chris McFadden speaks on keeping the feeder schools together as the right thing to do because “decades of experience have shown that it works.

“When they align those curriculum with feeder schools, it allows kids to make a seamless transition from there to here. ... This is a system that has worked well, and will continue to well. And that is why I do not support any of the options to split up the junior highs.”

Board member Arvid Johnson stresses the social advantages, too, saying that maintaining feeder districts offers “the best chance to succeed.”

Board member Chris Kosel moves to set the boundaries for 2016-17 attendance by junior high feeder schools, with the caveat that the board revisit in the future if necessary. McFadden seconds the motion.

Board member Dee Molinare pushes for consideration of setting boundaries by geographic boundaries, stating that children do well mixing with children from other places, that it helps some kids break a stigma that may have occurred in their earlier years.

“In my opinion, any child that moves into this district, if they don’t go to a feeder district, we had better be able to educate them,” she said.

Board president Molloy said a large number of emails (holds up a giant stack several inches thick) from constituents asked for the board to keep junior high students together.

The board votes to keep feeder schools together; member Molinare dissents.

The Vote to Close a School

Board member Christine Glatz says ”we owe it to you the taxpayers to keep three schools open. I personally am committed to keeping three schools open, and that those three include two state-of-the-art facilities.”

Johnson talks about budgeting process, and that the board would assume the state of Illinois “will continue to be a basket case and never address the problems in Springfield.

“We entered an unprecedented economic downturn. ... The rate of economic recovery is one of the slowest we’ve seen this far out” of the recession, Johnson said.

In its budgeting process, Johnson said, the board would ask, “do we think we’ve seen the bottom and is it turning around?” Stresses that the deficit reduction plan they put in place must solve the problem in the next two years, but that talks of a property tax freeze could impact the district even more than currently projected.

“I think it’s fair that we discuss with any option we look at, what it would mean if we had to close a second school, and whether we should be doing it right now.”

“Our obligation to you should be scratch and claw” to keep three schools open, Molloy said, but he urges community to direct anger and venom at the state.

McFadden said, “we could fit all our students at Lincoln-Way East and Central. ... If that’s what we gotta do, that’s what we gotta do,” which was met with boos and hisses from the crowd. He stressed he was playing the role of “devil’s advocate,” to demonstrate that the board weighs all factors—not just finances—in its decision.

“I hope that you understand that the bottom line is not always money. We make value choices all the time. ... I have to be realistic here and acknowledge that if the state doesn’t do the right thing, we’re going to be in a world of hurt.”

No board members move to close two schools.

Molloy said the option of selling a school is “unequovically off the table.”

“If we close a school, and it’s one of the bigger schools, and the state comes back and says, ’not good enough.’ ... We have 7,000 students, we need 7,000 seats to put them in.”

Lincoln-Way East is then removed from the options for closure.

Molloy wants closure of Central to also be taken off the table; Glatz disagrees, noting that closing Central would displace the least amount of students.

“Keeping the three schools open, getting us off the watch list will not be easy,” she said. She proposes closing Central but keeping it open as district offices, adding she is willing to work harder to cut costs and find other ways to save, “to keep two beautiful, brand new, state-of-the-art buildings open.”

Board member Dee Molinare adds, “We’ve been there, we did the ‘what-ifs,’ and now we have four schools and we have to say goodbye to one of them.

“This decision will impact us all. We’re all Lincoln-Way.”

McFadden said Central could never be completely shut because district offices and facilities for students with special needs are based there. To reopen Central in the future, there would be massive costs to bring the school up to code.

“Not knowing exactly what the state’s going to do, I think it’s a little premature to (close) two schools, but I think we need to be prepared that that may be in our future,” Kosel said. “We need to take action today with a thought in mind that really this is only phase one. ... I think we need to maintain the two biggest schools in the district to make sure that we have the options...”

Glatz moves to pursue Central Option C (to close Lincoln-Way Central); Molinare seconds.

Johnson said it’s important to keep the two largest schools open, “just in case” the district is forced to consolidate further. Molinare suggests the board do more to look into alternative revenue sources, including the sale of district-owned land.

“I can’t close a new building that is one of the lowest to operate,” she said.

After a vote, Lincoln-Way Central will remain open. Board has narrowed choices to North and West. Discussion turns to Lincoln-Way North Option A.

Any projected savings has to be balanced against the massive risk that the state is going to continue to short-change public education, McFadden said. “There is no margin for error.”

“I can’t ignore the fact—it’s crazy to me—North is brand new and we’re going to have to close it. It breaks my heart,” McFadden said.

He goes on to explain why. Without altering boundaries, closing West would put Central at 3,200 students indefinitely.

“I do not believe it is fair to have 40 percent of our students at one school,” he said. ”If we were to close West and move the students from West to Central, that would push Central over its functional capacity.

“I’m looking at all of you, and I’m looking you in the eye and I’m giving you the best reasons that I can.”

Lullo says North Option A ”does not overcrowd” students, and stresses finding options to utilize whichever building is closed.

Kosel makes the motion to pursue North Option A, and it’s seconded. Molinare, still dissenting, mentions that a potential property tax freeze would last two years. I think “we can scratch and claw” and find the money.

The board votes 5-2 to close North; Glatz and Molinare dissent.

As the vote was read, many in the audience got up to leave even as board members kept talking.

“This board has clearly stated to do everything we can moving forward to keep the three schools open,” Molloy said as people streamed into the aisles and headed to the doors. “I would hope that after you sat here, not only tonight, but over the course of the last two months, that some of this disappointment, this anger that we sit with today, at some point will be directed to the folks in Springfield, because they do have to take ownership.”

9 p.m. Meeting adjourned

Photos by Mary Compton

Photo 1: Sophomore at Lincoln Way North, Olivia Sterchele from Tinley Park, watches as the board votes to close her school.

Photo 2: Parent Nicole Perez, whose son attends Lincoln Way North, reacts after the board voted to close North. “I am heartbroken,” said Perez. “This was a tough decision but not the best decision.”

Photo 3: The audience applauds the boards decision not to close 2 schools.

Photo 4: Board members Arvid Johnson, Dee Molinare and board president Kevin Molloy.

Photo 5: Board members Chris Kosel, Arvid Johnson and Dee Molinare listen to a parent address the board.

Photo 6: Matt Maguire, a sophomore at Lincoln Way Central explains to the board his belief that Lincoln Way Central should remain open as he speaks at the board meeting on Aug. 13.

Photo 7: Board president Kevin Molloy and Superintendent R. Scott Tingley.