School board supports attaching community center to school on 3-2 vote

I.S.D. 166 school board members who were in attendance at the Cook County Community Center Steering Committee public input meeting on Tuesday, April 10 picked up the debate where it had been left off at a school board work session the next day.

The discussion started with Steering Committee Chair Paul Sporn making an appeal to the school board to consider attaching the new community center to the west end of the I.S.D. 166 campus. Sporn said, “The opportunity of attaching the new community center to the west wing of the school complex gives our small school district a chance of accessing a facility that other small school districts around the country could only dream of.”

As directed at previous school board meetings, Superintendent Beth Schwarz presented a capital improvement plan for 2012 – 2014 including estimated costs of repairs to the west wing of the school building. Schwarz stressed that these were estimates and that bids could be higher or lower. She also said it was unknown whether the county would assume all of these costs if it proceeded with attaching the community center to the school. However, she said it was also not known how the school would come up with the money to make the repairs. She said approximately $100,000 could be collected on a health & safety levy, which does not need voter approval. However for additional repairs, as well as other scheduled capital plan projects such as varsity gym floor sanding, building tuck pointing, and roof repairs, she said she didn’t know where the money would come from. “For the rest—we would have to postpone or ask voters for an increase in the levy,” said Schwarz.

School Board Member Deb White noted that there was no guarantee that the county would help the school with all of the costs. Schwarz concurred and said that is why a resolution agreeing to consider attaching the community center to the school needed to be carefully worded. The board and Schwarz spent considerable time drafting the proposed resolution on which it would vote.

Discussion followed, with White expressing concern about giving up school property. She noted that the school could use the space being discussed. She acknowledged that there was water damage but said the school could take “stopgap measures” to maintain the building. She said the space could be used to expand the industrial arts program or to serve as a feeder space for new businesses in the community.

But the biggest concern, said White, was that by combining the school and the community center, the school board would become embroiled in the controversy over the community center. She said at some point the school district would have to go to voters with a levy referendum. “If we alienate people, it will not be supported,” she said.

White and her board colleague, Leonard Sobanja, both said they needed more information. Sobanja questioned the estimates provided by Schwarz. He said actual bids would be less, as contractors would be competing for the work.

Board Member Terry Collins, participating in the work session by telephone, agreed that there were many details to be worked out if the project continued. He said, “I’m speaking as a citizen who doesn’t necessarily want a community center. But if the county is going to build one—and build it above West 5th Street, within a hundred yards of our existing building, it makes sense to combine resources.”

Sobanja reminded the board that some of the money from the referendum was supposed to be used used for restoring the industrial arts program. Collins replied that the school would be committing to a process that would give it input as planning progressed. Collins said if the school decided it wanted to pursue an expanded industrial arts area, it could retain a portion of the west wing for that purpose. “We could ask the planners to design an industrial arts area,” he said, adding, “The ideas don’t seem to be mutually exclusive.”

Board Member Jeanne Anderson, who serves on the steering committee, said that could be discussed. She said the alignment of the attachment had not been determined yet.

The board then took a roll call vote, with each member stating whether they wanted to support attaching the community center to the school or not, and why. Sobanja read a statement saying he was voting no because the school board’s first consideration should be to provide for all students. He said over the years the district has been remiss in providing for a segment of the student body. “First by emasculating the industrial arts department, selling the metal shop equipment, and then by not providing for expansion.”

Sobanja cited three studies that had been conducted recommending expansion of the industrial arts program. “Space is available and the superintendent recommends we give it to the county,” said Sobanja, listing other concerns about parking, security, and the status of the city’s involvement with a swimming pool, control of alcohol use at social events, and the overall conflict surrounding the community center planning. “I vote no!” he said emphatically.

White also voted no, reiterating her concern that by aligning itself with the county on the community center process, the school board jeopardized the trust the community has in the school board.

Collins again said that since the county was determined to build a community center adjacent to the school, it made sense to merge the two facilities. He voted yes.

Anderson said she too was concerned with public perception, but she said she truly believed that it benefited I.S.D. 166 students as well as the community overall to attach the community center to the school building. She said she supported the resolution because it included the stipulation that the school board reserves the right to review the feasibility study and business plan prior to giving final approval to the attachment of the proposed community center. She voted yes.

Board Mary Sanders said she also saw a financial benefit in a joint venture on the physical structure. She said she hoped that there was not confusion over the school district’s role. “We are not pushing this. But the community center decision has been made by the county and I feel that stipulations we put in this resolution will protect the school.”

The resolution carried, 3-2.

On April 17, the Cook County commissioners will have a special meeting to discuss the community center and possible YMCA management at 1 p.m. in the commissioner’s room at the courthouse. On April 23, the Community Center Steering Committee will meet in the commissioner’s room from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. All of these meetings are open to the public.

Estimates to repair west end of I.S.D. 166 building