Lockport freshmen face campus relocation after ceiling collapse
WILL COUNTY - Following a ceiling collapse, the Lockport Township High School freshmen who use the more than 100-year-old Central Campus building will now be bussed to the former Lincoln-Way North High School campus. That drive is about 25 minutes from Lockport.
Some parents think the old Central Campus building, where the ceiling collapsed, should have already been taken care of.
"We pay a lot in taxes for this area, and I don't know if that school is really worth putting more money into," said one Lockport High School parent.
"Hopefully, once we get settled into Lincoln-Way North, we can revisit the conversation and get the community behind a full renovation of Lockport Central," said Dr. Robert McBride, Superintendent at Lockport Township High School District 205.
FOX 32 asked Dr. McBride if there will be an adjustment to the school day now that students will be attending classes in Frankfort.
"There will need to be an adjustment in terms of transportation," said McBride. "We’ll have 22 shuttles that will go to Lincoln-Way North. Freshmen will have a shorter school day. A little bit more on the 6 hours rather than the 7 hours they are used to."
Kevin Brown went to Lincoln-Way North for only one year before the school permanently closed. He’s happy to hear that it’s being put to use.
"I know everyone in the area probably would like for it to be open. It’s tax dollars that have been spent on the school and district, and it’s kind of just been sitting there for years," said Brown.
"It's a relatively brand-new building. It’s only about 15 years old. It closed in about 2018. It was open for about eight years for students and is in great shape," said Dr. McBride.
The school district says it will try to have close to 1,000 Lockport freshmen in Lincoln-Way North by next Wednesday. Dr. McBride says getting them back to in-person learning is a priority.
The Lincoln-Way School District will hold an emergency meeting about the situation on Thursday.