School Board to Continue Third High School Debate Monday Night

The debate over whether Oswego Community Unit School District 308 should build a third high school will continue at Monday night’s meeting.

At the April 25 meeting Board members asked for proposals from the architects that worked on both and schools, Kluber Architects and Engineering and ATS&R Architectural Co., on what additions to the schools would cost as opposed to building a third high school.

Those proposals will be presented Monday night.

Also during the meeting, officials will likely approve a contract with RSP & Associates to update the projected enrollment numbers with the 2010 census data and run projections out to 10 years. RSP provided the district with its most recent projected enrollment numbers.

Several Board members have said they need more information to consider whether the proposed third high school is needed.

“We’re still collecting data,” said Board President Bill Walsh.

Oswego High School currently enrolls a little less than 2,200 students and Oswego East High School enrolls about 2,100 students. With 840 seniors graduating this year and 1,150 eighth-graders set to enroll as freshmen, officials said the district will be over optimum capacity of 2,100 in each school and will shortly reach maximum practical capacity of 2,400 in each building as class sizes continue to increase during the next several years.

During a workshop April 25 administrators and board members viewed a PowerPoint presentation that outlined several other options to address high school crowding, including year-round school where one portion of the student body is off while the other portion is in school; trailers or mobile classrooms; a split-shift schedule; and freshman centers; additions to the two existing high schools; building a third high school; or leaving the schools as is.

The meeting will be at 7 p.m. Monday, May 9, in the Oswego East High School Community Room, 1525 Harvey Road.