Most LTHS Hopefuls Criticize Handling Of Land Issue

LA GRANGE, IL – Most of the candidates for the Lyons Township High School board are criticizing the school's handling of the proposed sale of its Willow Springs land.

That stands in contrast to the current board, where members have not uttered a public word of dissent.

In a recent questionnaire, Patch asked candidates about their views on the sale of the 71 acres and whether the school board had been open enough with the public about it.

The sale price was geared toward industrial developers. That effort has drawn opposition from five towns, a school district and a park district. Willow Springs' zoning bars industrial uses, with village officials vowing to stick to those rules.

"It has been mishandled – unnecessarily," candidate Frank Evans said. "The public was not engaged as the current board was negotiating with potential buyers – resulting in an upset and angry community. Rightly so."

Candidate Tim Vlcek said he was disappointed with what he considered a lack of openness with parents and the community. He referred to the superintendent's behind-the-scenes communications with one industrial developer in particular.

"To proceed with vendor contract communications in March of 2022 but delay public announcement of this until November of 2022 is deceptively unfair to the community," Vlcek said.

School board members have argued the $55 million minimum price would provide the money that the school needs to improve its two campuses.

But candidate David Herndon, a former La Grange District 105 board member, questioned what the school needed $55 million for.

"The process the district has taken is completely backwards," Herndon said. "Having done school facility improvements in 5 schools, the first thing that should have been done is coming up with plans working with the district’s architects at a variety of price points and presenting it to the community prior to engaging in conversations about selling the land."

Herndon noted the board met in closed meetings about the land, yet did not cite an exception under the state's open meetings law in its agendas.

"If they did have these discussions, the Board has violated the Open Meetings Act," he said. "The closed bid process feels like it has been rigged from the start. One firm, that the district has been talking to for months in secret, provides a bid with the exact amount the district is looking for."

Candidate Justin Clark said the process of selling the land is not going well.

"The conversations I have had with a lot of people have made me come to the conclusion that the conversation regarding selling the land needs a restart," Clark said.

Tim Albores, another candidate, questioned the board's level of openness with residents.

"Whether the district felt it was open in their communication or not, doesn’t matter if the community feels disenfranchised," he said.

In her response to the questionnaire, incumbent Jill Beda Daniels said a sale could bring valuable resources to the school.

"A public school considering a transaction like this one has to strike a difficult balance, keeping our constituents informed while keeping some discussions confidential from potential buyers. The LT Board has engaged with members of the community on this issue and will continue to do so," she said.

Board President Kari Dillon, the other incumbent running in the April 4 election, was the only candidate not to respond to Patch's questionnaire.

The Riverside-Brookfield Landmark newspaper asked a similar question in its questionnaire. In that one, Dillon said the board's fiduciary responsibility was to make decisions to benefit all students at the least expense to all taxpayers.

"The proceeds from a potential sale could dramatically improve the infrastructure of our campuses and would contribute to fulfilling strategic (goals)," she said.

In late January, the board decided to reject the two bids for the land, only one of which met the $55 million price. It vowed to continue negotiations, though.