Summit Hill D161 Board Votes To Shutter 2 Schools

FRANKFORT, IL — Two Summit Hill District 161 schools will close as they continue to face declining student enrollment, after the Board of Education voted to shutter the buildings in Frankfort and Mokena at its meeting on Wednesday night.

A resolution calling for the closure of Arbury Hills School and Frankfort Square School was approved by a vote of 4-3 at Wednesday’s meeting. Arbury Hills is located at 19651 Beechnut Drive, in Mokena; and Frankfort Square School is at 7710 W. Kingston Drive, in Frankfort.

Voting yes to the closings were board members Stefanie McCleish and Katie Campbell, along with president Jim Martin and vice president Joy Murphy. Voting no were Matt Carey, John Winter and Amy Berk.

Frustrated parents filed up to the podium to address the board before the vote, calling for greater transparency and more time to explore other options.

"I've stood up here many times before in the last few years my words, thoughts and opinions have fallen on deaf ears," said parent Tara Tomasek. "I'm not necessarily opposed to closing schools but I'm opposed to our board of education and our superintendent voting and making sole decisions without full transparency, honesty and consideration of what the community and its families believe and know is best for its children."

Tomasek went on to say the board had not done its part to involve the community in the process.

"... where's our community survey, where's our staff survey, where's our town hall?" Tomasek demanded.

According to the District FAQ, this process of school closure consideration was started years ago, when the district began to see continued declining student enrollment.

"What was once a 3,600+ student District, now rests at 2,433 students in 2023," the District said, adding that enrollment will again decline next year. The Board had been previously considering the closure of Indian Trail School as well, but it was removed from the list of potential closures due to the number of classrooms at the building, Superintendent Paul McDermott said.

Enrollment in District 161, which has school buildings in Mokena, Frankfort and Tinley Park, is expected to dip again next year, district officials have said. The district once boasted an enrollment of more than 3,600 students, now dwindled to around 2,400, which prompted district officials to begin to consider how many school buildings are needed. In recent months, the district's Buildings and Ground Usage Committee has discussed possible closures, with committee members and district officials acknowledging that change is difficult. Community meetings have also included discussion on the possible closure of Indian Trail School in Frankfort, which, like other buildings, has seen student enrollment drop in recent years, according to the district.

Among the factors officials have considered in pondering the closures is student equity, the district has said previously. District officials have said they have seen student achievement testing drop when students are brought back together as fifth graders at Walker Intermediate School.

Parents at Wednesday's meeting called into question the district's numbers and analytics, saying they need better documentation and more research.

Arbury Hills School was built in 1960, according to District documents. The school's latest addition was in 2000, and it has the capacity of 456 students. A 2021 facility report showed that estimated repair costs for the school would be around $3.5 million. According to the data, the school has seen its enrollment drop from 262 students to 187 in recent years.

Frankfort Square School was built in 1973, and its latest addition was in 2000. The school has a capacity of 426 students. A 2021 facility report estimated repair costs at $2.6 million. The school has seen its enrollment drop from 239 students to 168 in recent years, the district said.

District officials have said that in considering the shuttering of buildings, it would either sell the property or work with community partners to use the space rather than allow the buildings to sit empty.

Patrick Oliphant, a Mokena resident and engineering manager with ABM Industries, previously offered his services pro bono to assist the district with assessing work needed to the buildings and cost estimations. His offer was rejected, he told the crowd.

"This process was a poorly designed sham," Oliphant said. "I really hope that when you railroad this through that you're able to sell the properties, because I'm going to lead a petition drive to re-open these schools ... and I'm going to run for the board, and I'm going to win."

<< READ ALSO: D161 Board 'Awakened The Bear': Parents Furious Over Schools Closing >>

Lisa Brace, who has two children attending Arbury Hills School, approached the podium with them. She stood beside them as they asked the board not to close their beloved school, and spoke of not wanting to miss out on walking to school with their friends should they need to be bused.

"... I have two children at Arbury Hills, and I’m angry," Brace said. "You promised you’d do due diligence when you were voting to close our schools or change our education model. You have not collected a feasibility study to show which scenario best achieves the desired outcomes, how much if any this will save, how will the savings be earmarked for reinvestment. Which scenario provides the best outcomes for our students, including those at risk. You haven’t conducted a community impact study—how will this effect the residents and businesses such as daycares and businesses that sponsor fundraisers and events. We haven't received a transportation study showing how much time our students will spend on buses, or how the increased traffic will affect travel. This vote should not be whether we should close schools, or to change the education model. It should be if we should be to decide if we end this conversation immediately...."

Brace was referencing another agenda item querying if the district should transition students into a grade center system; the board relented on that matter, instead saying that would require more research before taking that step. Instead, the district will accommodate grades 1–4 at both Julian Rogus and Indian Trail schools. The board voted to move early childhood and preschool to Mary Drew Elementary School. That school was previously shuttered in 2012 during a budget crisis for the District. The District still owns the building, using it for some programming for different organizations like Frankfort Square Park District. The building reportedly costs the district $500,000 to maintain.

Board member Matt Carey chastised his colleagues for the rushed nature of the decision to close the schools.Following several previously held public hearings, the board pushed the vote up to its Dec. 20 meeting—seemingly without much notice to board members.

"First and foremost, the way this was put out in our agenda was an absolute despicable act," Carey said. "A real snaky thing to do."

Board member John Winter, who also voted against the closings, echoed Carey's frustrations, saying he only became aware of the vote being Dec. 20 when he viewed the meeting agenda late last week.

"We don’t have a town square, we don’t have a 'downtown Frankfort,'" Winter said. "We don’t have that, but we do have our schools. Our schools are the staple of our community. ... That’s pivotal."

Prior to the vote, Winter called into question if the board had done enough to explore all available options.

"I don’t think we have a money problem, I think maybe we have to be smarter on how we approach this," Winter said. "I know that their hearts are where they think they need to be. I’m asking us to take more time to be more thoughtful."

Winter said the board had not concluded its committee work surrounding the action items, had not produced essential and vital reports with its findings before placing the action item on the agenda.

"I want to give everyone the benefit of the doubt, but five days before Christmas? … I think we should take our time. I implore you, please do not vote to close our schools.

"It deserves the time. This is so important."

Prior to the vote, board member Stefanie McCleish defended her stance that the closings are necessary.

"I took a personal oath to make sure I make decisions to maximize the quality of education for all our students," McCleish said. "I do not take these decisions lightly."

Citing time spent in all the district's schools, McCleish defended her stance, saying, "I do feel that I have done my due diligence."

Following the vote, the crowd erupted with disapproving shouts.

"You should be ashamed of yourselves!" parents yelled.

"%&** you," others shouted. One parent trotted across the room, flashing both middle fingers at the board members.

"I was angry before, I am livid now," Brace said in public comment after the vote. "This gets stinkier and stinkier every time we peel back a layer.

"... you have done the absolutely bare minimum required by law. This is duplicitous.

"This is not a factory making widgets, these are children, these are students. They are the people you serve."

Frankfort Square School teachers huddled together and cried after the vote. Children in the crowd—several in tears—clung to their parents. Oliphant, whose children attend Arbury Hills, shook his head and said while disappointed, he was not surprised by the outcome.

"It was already made," Oliphant said of the decision. "It feels personal because I have to tell my kids in the morning that their favorite school they can't go to anymore.

"My son was so looking forward to going through the same school my daughter did. ... The principal who knew him by name before he even went to school there—it's out the window now. I have to tell him that in the morning.

"For a pre-made decision, which the process was never followed up with how they said it was going to go, I think it's an insult to the community, an insult to the students, and it's an insult to the faculty. It's upsetting."

Parent Carrie Bunda has two children in District 161, one who attends Summit Hill Junior High and another who attends Rogus, and said she was also disheartened by the board's haste.

"... They told us in the beginning they were not rushing to any decisions," Bunda said. "However they crammed the three required meetings in as soon as they could. ... They have not done any reaching out to the community to survey us on how we feel. They have not reached out to the teachers. They didn't do the professional assessments that they should do, as was stated by Mr. Winter."

Board member Amy Berk, who voted no to the closures said she'll "have to figure out a way to work together" with her colleagues who didn't share her stance.

Board member Carey shared her sense of defeat.

"Very disappointed," he said. "I think a lot of misinformation was put out. It was a terrible time for this to even go now—the holiday time—and I have two kids in the school that they just motioned to close.

"... So, not happy."

Board president Jim Martin deflected criticism from the crowd, also consistently calling for decorum throughout the night and threatening to have people removed.

"I don't want to close schools," he said.

"Yes you do!" the crowd retorted.

Martin stood firm.

"It’s what we have to do."