HeraldNewsOnline.com Member of the Sun-Times News Group

Channahon mayor wants new HS board

MINOOKA COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL

CHANNAHON -- Unhappy about the name for the new high school, the mayor and at least one trustee pledged to help and support any Channahon resident who steps up to run for the high school board in spring 2009.

Most on Channahon's village board were not happy about a recent decision the Minooka High School Board made to not include "Channahon" in the name of the new school, which is scheduled to open in the fall.

The school is being built in Channahon, after all, trustees say. Plus, a recent survey the high school district sent to residents came back with the majority of responses favoring putting Channahon in the name, trustees said during this week's board meeting.

The school board last week chose the name "Minooka Community High School -- South Campus, Channahon, Illinois" for the school.

Village President Joe Cook publicly called the decision "a slap in the face to all Channahon residents."

Trustees and many residents had requested the new school to be named the Channahon Campus of Minooka Community High School.

"I can't go anywhere without Channahon residents talking to me about this issue," Cook said.

Trustees were particularly incensed that one school board member reportedly suggested that if Channahon residents would have supported the building referendum in the first place, the board might have considered putting the village's name in the title.

Cook said that would be like the village refusing to plow someone's street because they didn't vote for a particular trustee. The school board should be serving all of the residents in its district, he said, not just the ones in favor with them.

Cook and Trustee Debbie Militello both said they would actively help any of their residents who want to oust some of the high school board members during the April 2009 election.

"Any resident who wants to run for the (high) school board, come to me," Cook said. "I'll help you with the election."

Trustee Judie Nash said that over the process of construction of the school, the village has given tremendous support to the high school. Putting a survey on the back of the school's newsletter was not even a feeble attempt at discovering what the true wishes of the district's residents were, she said. It was a non-attempt.

"It completely disenfranchises the village of Channahon," Nash said.