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Illinois School Board Journal
July/August 2005

Different growth, different problems

Not all the growth and change in the Chicago suburbs is in the "collar counties." In more established suburbs, like Chicago Heights, Palos Heights and Berwyn, the character of older neighborhoods is undergoing a transformation as young professionals with jobs downtown seek affordable housing close to a train station or the expressway.

Cape Cods and bungalows are gaining second stories, said Bernard Jumbeck, superintendent of Chicago Ridge SD 127 1/2. Others are purchased as "tear-downs" and larger homes — with children — may take up space formerly occupied by older, retired residents.

Student growth in these areas has not been exorbitant, he said. But during the past 10 years that he has been superintendent, enrollment has increased by about 25 percent, from 1,000 students to 1,250.

While the community has impact fees, Jumbeck described their distribution as "sporadic." And the amount hasn't been much: $13,500 for this year.

But every little bit helps. Even small amounts of money can help remodel bathrooms, which is how the most recent money was used.

As a resident of Palos Heights, he said he witnessed what can happen when districts don't have an impact fee structure in place. A golf course was sold in that community, and a developer put up some very expensive town homes. It made them think about impact fees "real fast," he said.

Will his district ever experience the type of "collar county" growth? Jumbeck can't be certain, but the community's impact fee structure now is ready to help if it comes, and SD 127½ has been renovating its schools in anticipation of growth. It's their own version of "Field of Dreams": if we build it, they will come.

"These are the kinds of schools our kids left town to have for their own kids," he said. "Now people don't have to leave anymore."