Highland Park School District 108 has filed an emergency appeal with the Illinois Appellate Court in an attempt to block a referendum on merging the city`s three elementary school systems, officials said Thursday.
The referendum is scheduled for March 17, but District 108 is seeking to prevent the vote until its appeals are exhausted, said Susan Moschin, president of the school board.
It is asking the appeals court to consider the issue on an expedited basis, she said.
The Lake County clerk`s office, however, already has begun sending out absentee ballots that include the referendum question.
The clerk`s office took action after Lake County Judge Stephen Walter ruled last week against all of District 108`s legal arguments and ordered that the proposition be placed on the ballot.
In the referendum, voters in Highwood-Highland Park School District 111, Highland Park District 107 and District 108 will be asked if they want to combine their districts into one.
District 111 is facing a huge budget deficit because of cutbacks in federal reimbursements for educating children from nearby Ft. Sheridan, and supporters of consolidation say it would help spread the financial burden of educating those children.
The judge`s action followed decisions by the Lake County and state school superintendents that voters should decide the matter.
Supt. Griff Powell of District 111 said he was not surprised by the appeal.
Lawyers for that district were completing their response to the appeal Thursday.
The Appellate Court could stay the election or let it go forward and, in either case, still hear the questions raised by District 108 in its appeal.
If the election went forward, but the court ultimately agreed with the district, the election results could be voided, lawyers said.
County Clerk Linda Hess said she has no position on the merits of the merger but, in the interest of efficiency, wants it to remain on the ballot so she can continue to send out absentee ballots.
If the court decides to stay the election, the votes would simply be invalidated, she said.
