D87 Board Member Speaks Out Before Memorial Lights Referendum Vote

On March 20, 2012 the registered voters of Glen Ellyn will be asked the following question:

Should High School District 87 be permitted to install and operate permanent stadium field lighting on Memorial Field at Glenbard West High School (consisting of two 60' tall and four 70' tall light towers) for after-dark athletic practices, competitions, and non-school related rentals?

The Illinois Association of School Board states in its Foundational Principles of Elective Governance that “The School Board must be aggressive in reaching out to the community – the district’s owners - to engage people in conversations about education and the public good.”  Our own District 87 Board Policy (8:10 paragraph 4) states we will “solicit public opinion as part of the decision making process.”

Last Fall constituents of the Glen Ellyn community amassed over 700 signatures to put this referendum on the upcoming March ballot. Critical comments  have been circulating regarding the fact that only Glen Ellyn residents will be voting on this issue. This is a land use issue that affects Glen Ellyn residents only, and that is why it is on the Glen Ellyn ballot. The District’s website calls the language misleading. The District only removed its request for leasing in late November, four months after Plan Commission hearings began. Also, the District had an opportunity to object to the question’s language and did not do so. The District’s disparaging remarks on this issue appear to me to be an effort to obstruct the elective process and have no factual basis. I have no idea what the results of this referendum will be, but I expect that, as elected officials, we will of course take into consideration the results of this advisory referendum when we make our final decisions about this project.

Mary Ozog

District 87 Board Member

March 18, 2012