At a special meeting on Wednesday, May 20, the Board of Education of Riverside Brookfield High School District 208 authorized the filing of a lawsuit against the Village of Brookfield. The lawsuit was over the Village Trustees' denial of zoning approval for the School District to construct a parking lot and move the tennis courts on the high school site immediately south of the Brookfield Zoo. The 91-space parking lot and the relocation of five tennis courts are the last significant parts of a long-term effort to modernize the high school and its facilities and to meet Illinois State Board of Education school safety regulations. The high school presently has no on-site parking and the tennis courts are to be moved at the request of Riverside School District 96 officials and community members. The relocation would provide greater separation of the parking lot from District 96's Hollywood Elementary School.

After months of community and intergovernmental meetings and hearings, the Village's Plan Commission unanimously recommended approval of the School District's requests to the Village Trustees. At its meeting of April 28, the Trustees rejected the Plan Commission's recommendation, and all but one Trustee voted against adoption of an ordinance prepared by the Village's professional staff that would have approved the School District's project. The Village Trustees gave no reasons for denial of the School District's request, other than a comment by President Ketchmark stating that the Village was not responsible for solving the high school's parking problems - nor was it the Village's concern if its decision had an impact on the District's renovation plans or upcoming athletic season.

Traffic and engineering studies presented during the Plan Commission process demonstrated, and the Plan Commission found, that the parking lot would improve traffic and storm water management in the area surrounding the high school. The parking lot project included an expenditure of approximately $1.3 million in underground storm water storage improvements, which exceeded the requirements of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District and met the requirements of the Village's professional staff and the Plan Commission.

With the denial by the Village Trustees, the Board of Education faced two choices under Illinois zoning law: file a lawsuit to overturn the Trustees' decision, or go through the zoning process again. The Board, District, school administration, and the Board's consultants spent a considerable amount of District resources - in both time and money - on the construction planning, community outreach, and Village zoning process. The Board has been advised and believes very strongly that the Village's denial is contrary to Illinois law. The Board has nothing to add to its zoning submittals and saw no realistic prospect for reversal of the Trustees' decision if it went through the zoning process again. The Board does not take litigation lightly -particularly against another public body - but believes it best, in terms of ultimate cost and time, to ask the courts to overturn the Trustees' decision as soon as possible.

Phase 2 (stadium, track, parking lot, and tennis courts) is under way. Phase 3 (tennis courts and parking) are on hold, pending the litigation with the Village of Brookfield.

The Board of Education has held two public hearings to take oral and written comments about the intent to sell school fire prevention and safety bonds for the purpose of repairing certain damaged pavement and concrete in the District. There will be another hearing held on June 9 about the intent to sell school fire prevention and safety bonds for the purpose of completing life safety repairs. The meeting notice will be posted on the website. No decision has been made by the Board of Education regarding issuance of bonds or use of Life Safety funds.

The Board of Education will have only one meeting per month during the summer months. The dates are June 9, July 14, and August 11. For more information on the Board of Education's meetings, please check the RB website under the Board of Education tab or you can watch the meetings on www.rbtv.tv.