Key Issue at LTHS is Safety (as seen in the Joliet Herald)

Board members from the Lockport Township High School District recently passed a resolution to place the referendum question back on the ballot for the Feb. 24 primary election. This measure has been rejected by the majority of voters since it was first put on the ballot a couple of years ago. Why is this referendum again being placed on the ballot after being shot down so many times? It's simply because a second high school is needed to ensure the safety of students.

Everyone has an opinion on a second high school. Is it going to be a freshman through senior center? And if so, what are the geographic boundaries? Will Homer Glen eventually "take" this school from Lockport, leaving Lockport residents holding part of the bill? I've heard some Lockport residents ask, "Why would I pay to build a high school for Homer Glen?" This is usually followed up with the comment, "Let them build their own." Let's not forget that Homer Glen residents pay property taxes. Their tax bill includes a line item for the LTHS district. One could argue that THEY are paying for a "Lockport" school, and have been for years. One thing is for sure; there is no shortage of opinions on the details of a new high school.

I believe that there is one core issue on this referendum, and that is safety. This school is overcrowded. Most students and teachers seem to agree. The issue of safety will really begin to play out if a disaster strikes. Where do students go if there is a tornado? How quickly can the school be evacuated in case of fire?

Homer Glen residents should not think that they would be getting their own school. Lockport residents should not think that they could be paying for a new school that their children will never attend. Rather, we all should be looking at this from a standpoint of giving our children a safe environment in which to receive an education. Overcrowding at LTHS is an issue of safety and nothing more.

You may ask, "What about the details?" Is the new building going to be a freshman through senior building or is it just for freshman and sophomores? We, the voters, do need to be concerned with this matter, but not at the expense of doing nothing.

We need to approve this referendum and allow the LTHS board to do what we've elected them to do -- make the hard decisions regarding this issue.

If we don't give the school the resources it needs to address this safety issue, when disaster does strike, we will only have ourselves to blame.