Lincoln-Way watchdogs raising money for legal action

NEW LENOX — A watchdog group opposed to Lincoln-Way High School District 210 officials’ August decision to close a school plans to take legal action against the district.

But first the Lincoln-Way Area Taxpayers Unite group is gathering funds to hire legal counsel. The group put together an online fundraiser with a goal of collecting $20,000, with $5,000 to go toward retaining legal counsel and the rest to pay for additional legal fees as well as educational materials.

According to the fundraiser, Wednesday afternoon $4,551 had been raised.

Liz Sands, a LWATU member, said the group plans to pursue legal action against Lincoln-Way to halt the closing of North high school. The Board of Education decided in a 5-2 vote Aug. 13 to close the school – one of four within Lincoln-Way – to reduce multimillion-dollar deficits in the district budget.

“We think the decision was too hasty and we think we can do it differently,” Sands said.

She said the group has spoken with half a dozen law firms and lawyers but didn’t name which they would hire.

Lincoln-Way Board President Kevin Molloy said even though board members were disappointed in having to close North, the decision was made and the transition process to move students and assign staff for the remaining three high schools has begun.

“We know we have our work ahead of us moving forward so that we’re not closing another school in the next three to five years and we’ll do the best we can to have three schools moving forward,” Molloy said.

Molloy and Lincoln-Way Superintendent Scott Tingley said they received notification of potential litigation from the watchdog group. Tingley said they were under advisement from their legal counsel to continue listening to them but refrain from providing feedback.

Sands said the group sent a letter two weeks ago stating they wanted to work with district officials to prevent a school from closing and they did not want to have to take legal action.

She said LWATU has done research to come up with a community deficit reduction plan that would find ways to reduce Lincoln-Way’s deficit through cuts, fee raises and outsourcing rather than closing a school.

She also said the group is researching the idea of a reorganization of school districts in the Lincoln-Way area – which covers New Lenox, Frankfort, Manhattan and Mokena – that would reduce taxes while keeping all four high schools open.