By Sue Kiesewetter
Enquirer contributor

WEST CHESTER TWP. - Options that would add one or more high schools to the Lakota district by 2006 will be the focus of three open houses over the next two weeks.

A five-member long-range facilities committee has come up with four plans to increase capacity for students in grades 9-12 from 4,800 to 6,000 students. Each would cost $31 million to $37 million. Three of the options would put freshmen in the same building as upperclassmen.

MEETING SCHEDULE

• April 23: Lakota Freshman School, 5050 Tylersville Road, 6-8 p.m. • April 26: Lakota East High School, 6840 Lakota Lane, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. • May 1: Lakota West High School, 8940 Union Centre Blvd.

Two options include two large high schools and either one or two smaller schools. No school would contain more than 2,400 students in grades 9-12, said Jon Weidlich, district spokesman.

"We tried to offer something for everyone," said Joan Powell, president of the school board and a committee member. "There are pros and cons to each."

The district is expected to exceed its 4,800 capacity for grades 9-12 before 2006 and is projected to have 5,500 students by 2010, Powell said.

"While we continue to grow, we are flattening out," Powell said. "Any of these options gives us some breathing room but doesn't give us too much capacity."

Parent Cathy Durko said she believes the district needs another high school. But she's not in favor of a separate building for ninth-graders.

"They make friends in ninth grade, then split," said Durko, of West Chester. "The kids don't feel like they're part of high school."

Freshman Sara Prather said she prefers to add high schools. But she has mixed feelings about a separate school for ninth-graders.

"I like the freshman school because I meet new people. It's our school," said Sara, of West Chester. "But if ninth grade were at the high school, we could do more high school things."

The committee will use input from the open houses to prepare a recommendation for the school board, said Superintendent Kathleen Klink.