'False Hope': Lyons Township High Policy Likely To Go Away

LA GRANGE, IL – Lyons Township High School's student handbook has long included a procedure for allowing non-resident students to attend as long as they pay tuition.

But it hasn't been used in at least three decades, officials said.

At this week's school board meeting, Superintendent Brian Waterman said he has received an increased number of requests for non-resident students to attend.

He said the policy creates "false hope" and should be removed from the handbook.

"If we allow one student, we will allow all of them," Waterman said. "We would certainly not have the space."

The school's attorney, Jennifer Rosenberg of Itasca-based Hodges Loizzi, said that if the school admitted non-resident students, it could not discriminate based on needs.

While special education students involve more costs, a person couldn't be denied attendance based on that factor, she said.

Otherwise, Rosenberg said, the school would set itself up for a discrimination lawsuit.

Board members generally agreed on the need to remove the policy.

They are expected to vote on the issue at their June 16 meeting.