The McHenry High School District 156 school board moved a giant step forward in the direction of a March referendum for a brand new high school.
Despite the recommendation of a Core Planning Committee that the school make infrastructure improvements and a high school addition, at a cost of $39 million, the board voted this week to pursue the new school at a cost of $43 million.
The committee held a series of public forums in an effort to determine the best option to relieving overcrowding in the rapidly growing district.
The committee recommended that the board expand West Campus at 4724 W. Crystal Lake Rd., and renovate East Campus at 1012 N. Green St.
On Tuesday, McHenry Community Consolidated District 15 School Supt. Mike Morris said that, if a new high school is built, District 15 would want to use the East Campus building as a new middle school.
Members of the Core Planning Committee said they had made their recommendation without knowing that the old building could be used by District 15 and one of their major concerns was what to do with the East Campus building. The board then voted to pursue new construction.
