For the past 15 years, LT has owned and had full control over 72 acres of land in Willow Springs, which is one of the farthest communities that feed into District 204. Thirty-eight acres of this land were purchased in 1955, and another 31.75 acres were purchased in 1962 with the anticipation of building a third campus for the district. Then, in 2010, 2.57 more acres were donated to LT for the same reason, a third campus. 

“The [Board of Education] purchased the parcel in the ‘50s, anticipating a need for a third campus,” Superintendent Brian Waterman said. “Enrollment studies throughout the years, including the most recent one in August 2022, [have] not supported the need for a third campus.”

The plot of land sits directly behind feeder school Pleasantdale Elementary School, and when LT was set to sell the land to an industrial development company in 2022, District 107 pushed back with the belief that the company would build problematic buildings directly next to the school. 

“For months, the board had met behind closed doors to discuss selling the [72] acres for industrial development, although local zoning barred such uses,” the LaGrange Patch wrote in an article posted on Oct. 8. “The land is next to houses and an elementary school. As it turned out, the closed meetings violated the state’s open meetings law. After much opposition, the board abandoned its effort in early 2023.”

The state’s open meetings law allowed for the BOE to meet behind closed doors only to discuss setting a price, but as it turned out, they allegedly were discussing much more than that. So, after some controversy, the BOE has decided to move forward in an open fashion: by allowing community members to voice their opinions about the sale, in hopes of making the sale more tolerable to the public. 

“As superintendent, I believe that it is critical that we continue to make progress with updating our facilities at both campuses,” Waterman said. “And, I believe that the Willow Springs Property is a strategic asset that can be used to fund these future improvements. I also encourage you to visit our website, which outlines the historical steps the district has taken regarding this property.”

As of early October, the BOE has begun to discuss with representatives from the Pleasantdale Park District, the Village of Willow Springs, and Pleasantdale School District 107 the potential sale of a small portion of the property to D107, in an effort to alleviate concerns about the sale. 

“While continuing to engage with our community, I hope the Board can reach a consensus on the property’s future,” LT BOE President Tim Albores said. “Ultimately, I believe the funds from a potential sale could be used to support essential [Americans with Disabilities Act] upgrades, improve classrooms and facilities, and ensure we leave the district in a stronger position for future generations.”

After the sale failed in 2023, a home building company is still interested in the land. This company is an Atlanta-based Pulte Group that had proposed to build 96 townhomes and 97 ranch houses on the 72 acres of land.