If the Mokena Elementary District 159 school board decides to build a new junior high, planning must begin quickly, Supt. Roger Reardon told the board recently.
School board members were to meet with architects this month to discuss timelines for building a Grasmere-area school for 6th through 8th graders.
Design work has to begin soon to have a new school open in fall 2001.
The school board is expected to vote next month on whether to hold a referendum proposal asking voters to finance a third district school. If district voters approve a referendum plan, the district would qualify for a state construction grant that could fund a substantial portion of the building cost, Reardon said.
Building another junior high school was recommended in October by an advisory committee that had studied enrollment and classroom space.
Growth is driving the need for more classrooms. Enrollment as of Oct. 1 stood at 2,145 students in kindergarten through 8th grade, Reardon said.
The increase of 3.2 percent is slightly higher than the 3 percent growth projected by school officials earlier this year.
