IPSD 204 School Boundary Process

The Brookdale Homeowners Association encourages all residents to stay updated on the IPSD 204 School Boundary Process to better understand its significance, specifically to the Brookdale neighborhood!

Brookdale Neighborhood Communication - November 18, 2021

We have two days to make an impact for our neighborhood. Please consider taking 20 minutes to read this information and take action right away. To ensure the Brookdale neighborhood is well-represented in the school boundary process, we highly encourage all Brookdale residents to take action!

At last week’s School Boundary Community Forums, over 1,100 people attended to learn more about the two boundary concepts. For those unable to attend, a video of the presentation and slide deck is available online. Please also be sure to closely review the two boundary map concepts:

Concept 1 Maps
Concept 3 Maps
Current Maps

NEXT STEP - COMPLETE THE BOUNDARY SURVEY BY FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 19

Share your opinion on various aspects and the proposed concepts in the boundary process by completing an online survey by Friday, November 19.

The concerns specific to the Brookdale neighborhood are:

Keep ALL schools open to help alleviate future capacity issues in the northern part of District 204 (See Concept 3 Maps that keeps all schools open). What’s being proposed in Concept 1 Maps is the closure/repurposing of two schools, but these sites are needed for overflow.
Innovation spaces should be separated from the boundary process. What’s being proposed in Concept 3 Maps is that every school have a “makers space” for projects and learning. As great of a concept it is, elementary schools in the northern part of District 204 don’t have space to even meet current class demands. (This input can be added in the survey on Page 2 “Priority Ranking" comments.)
Request that in addition to expansion at Longwood Elementary School, that Brookdale Elementary and Brooks Elementary also be given expansion priority. (This comment can be added in the survey on Page 4 “Conceptual Boundary Changes” in the Overall Concept Preference section.)
Green space / undeveloped space / commercial space should be zoned to a school now, rather than later to avoid any future capacity issues. For example, if the area to north of Diehl and east of Route 59 is rezoned as residential property, this would increase enrollment at Brookdale and Hill. In both Concept 1 Maps and Concept 3 Maps currently, the area to north of Diehl Road and east of Route 59 is not zoned to schools. Not accounting for this unzoned area now could potentially lead to capacity issues at Brookdale and Hill should this area eventually be rezoned by a City Zoning Committee--similar to what recently happened in the CityGate area!

Together, let’s make sure IPSD 204 receives feedback from the Brookdale Neighborhood by participating in the survey! Please set aside time to complete the survey, preferably from a computer (NOT from a mobile device).

If you have any questions, please email bha.board@aboutbrookdale.org.

Brookdale Neighborhood Communication - November 10, 2021

Share your opinions and feedback! Comments provided to the School Board during the Community Forums, as well as emails sent to the School Board at board-members@ipsd.org, can influence the final decision!

Brookdale Neighborhood - Take Action

Based on the proposed concepts, please consider taking action and sharing your opinion on these items:

The proposed Innovation Spaces should be separated from the Boundary Process as it does not fall within the objective and distracts from the core mission of the boundary process. The School Board should wait to roll out Innovation Spaces until more clarity is available on how they will be paid for and what specific purposes they are intended to serve.
Request that priority be given to Brookdale (or Brooks) for any expansion plans rather than Indian Plains.
In regard to the closing of schools:
- Clow is a centrally-located elementary school that would be able to absorb just over 100 students. This could further alleviate capacity issues in the northern part of District 204 caused by future development.
- Graham has capacity for 500 additional students. Although it is the southernmost elementary school, Google Maps estimates that it has a reasonable 11-28 minute travel times to/from Fox Valley Mall.

Overview of the School Boundary Process

Last spring, the School Board determined that a boundary review is necessary to balance enrollment in areas that are over or under capacity. The issues found in recent enrollment studies are:

Of the District’s 21 elementary schools, four are expected to be over 100% capacity and 14 are expected to be under 75% capacity.
Three middle schools are expected to be over 100% capacity while the remaining four middle schools are expected to be under 75% capacity.
Metea Valley High School is currently over capacity and is expected to remain as such, while Neuqua Valley High School is expected to be under 75% capacity.

A Boundary Committee made up of community representatives from across the district was formed to help with the boundary adjustment planning. A series of boundary committee meetings, facilitated by RSP & Associates, were held beginning in July 2021. The committee reviewed enrollment projections and building capacities, which led to suggestions of various concepts for development into boundary scenarios.

Boundary Concepts

Two concepts are being presented at this week’s community forums. View the boundary concepts.

These two concepts are the culmination of an iterative process driven by the consultant. In general, the consultant provided the Boundary Committee with new maps, highlighting their advantages and disadvantages, and asked the Boundary Committee to comment on what was liked or disliked about the maps. The consultant would use these comments as a guide in drawing revised maps. This process was then repeated the following meeting.

A summary of the two boundary concepts:

Concept #1 - Closes (and repurposes) two elementary schools, Clow and Graham.
Concept #3 - Keeps all schools open, but incorporates Innovation Spaces at all schools.

Boundary Priorities for Brookdale

Both of the proposed boundary concepts:

Maintain neighborhood cohesiveness and a unified Brookdale Elementary School neighborhood. Keeping all housing bounded by Route 59, McDowell, Raymond, and North Aurora is important to foster a sense of community and support everyone’s property values.
Reduce pressure on Metea, Hill and Brookdale. Although both concepts do so, they also limit future flexibility by either reducing capacity to make space for Innovation Spaces, or closing schools that could act as pressure relief for new developments in the north.
Exclude the Fox Valley Mall region at all grade levels, which helps to reduce future capacity problems.

The Brookdale community should also ask that green spaces and commercial areas that are not currently developed (such as the Dominick’s/Up North Ale House area) to either be zoned now to schools that have capacity, or left unzoned and subject to the decision of the School Board at a later date.

Community Forum & Meetings

Public forums are being held this for the community to provide input on the boundary concepts before the proposal is presented to the School Board.

Wednesday, November 10
7:00 – 9:00pm
Metea Valley High School
Enter Door #1

In addition to the community forum, consider attending the upcoming Hill PTSA or Brookdale PTA meetings that will have our School Board Members as guest speakers.

Hill PTSA Meeting
Wednesday, November 10
7:00pm
School Board Member: Justin Karubas

Brookdale PTA Meeting
Tuesday, November 16
7:00pm
School Board Member: Allison Fosdick