Board asks staff to seek partners for district land with water‑management priority, holds off on Stern School sale

At the Sept. 9 Committee of the Whole meeting, the Warren Township High School District 121 board discussed potential partnerships and uses for two district properties: the site variously referenced in the discussion as Gough (or "Galle") Beach and the roughly 100‑acre parcel on Stern School Road. The trustees agreed their top priority is addressing water management to protect school facilities and taxpayer investments. "Protection of the tax dollars, I think. Those to me are my two driving forces," one trustee said while urging attention to drainage and flood risk. Board members and staff recalled major flooding in 2017 and said prior stormwater planning with county and forest preserve partners stalled during the pandemic and should be revisited and updated. Board members outlined possible uses suggested by community partners, including natural‑resource restoration tied to instruction, recreational access and limited community use outside school hours. Several trustees noted they would allow community access only around clearly defined school uses and hours and said any partnership should preserve the district's right to use the property during school days and school hours. After discussion, a district administrator offered to draft a formal request for partnership that reflects board priorities; "I think I understand your priorities. I'll... put together a request for partnership and then just bring it to the next board meeting and have you approve it," the administrator said. Trustees also agreed to place the Stern School Road parcel on hold for now while the board focuses on Gough Beach and the water‑management issue. Next steps: Administration will update the district's stormwater information, prepare a request for partnership focusing on water management and school‑use parameters, and bring proposals to a future board meeting for review. The board expressed openness to proposals but did not authorize development or sale of either property at the Sept. 9 meeting. Why it matters: The properties touch fiscal, operational and instructional concerns—stormwater that can affect school buildings, possible new instructional spaces and public expectations about district land use. The board established water management as the leading criterion for evaluating proposals.