This is an official release by District 204 schools.  Please note that this is a recommendation that will be made to the Board of Education and is dependent upon their approval as well as an final agreement with St. John's AME Church . 

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On January 22 district administrators will make a recommendation to the board of education regarding where to build Metea Valley High School . The recommendation calls for the board to consider the purchase of 87 acres on the east side of Eola Road , bordered on the north by the Illinois Prairie Path, for $16.5 million. This parcel is owned by St. John AME Church and Midwest Generation.

The administration arrived at this recommendation after the Brach-Brodie jury returned a verdict that was twice the value of comparable properties and significantly greater than the budget. Upon learning the jury's verdict, the district began exploring a number of potential options, ranging from eliminating significant portions of the building to identifying another parcel. In evaluating the options, the district used the following criteria:

1. The district needs the third high school and seventh middle school based on current enrollment and space needs.

2. The total cost will not exceed the approved referendum, interest, and other identified project revenues of approximately $146,240,000 for purchase of the land and construction of the school. 

3. The third high school will be comparable to the existing high schools (i.e. pool, auditorium, stadium, etc.).

4. The high school and middle school should open in August 2009.

The Eola Road location will serve the needs of the district and allow the school to be delivered on time and within budget.

We invite you to review the complete packet of information on this recommendation, including Frequently Asked Questions, which can be found using the links below.

Map of sites considered: http://www.ipsd.org/Uploads/news_17229_1.pdf

Frequently Asked Questions: http://www.ipsd.org/Uploads/news_17229_2.pdf

Land Report to the Board of Education (sites considered, financial comparison): http://www.ipsd.org/Uploads/news_17229_3.pdf

You can provide comments on this recommendation at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=55IpIvBtWo7S467SY3RBQA_3d_3d

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School District 204
http://www.ipsd.org
780 Shoreline Drive
Aurora, IL 60504
USA

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