PEKIN - The legal fight over where Hopedale children will go to school returned to court Tuesday as lawyers argued over an appeal in the Olympia detachment case.

Tazewell County Judge Richard Grawey issued no ruling, but both sides expressed confidence after the two-hour hearing.

"We were really happy with how things went," Vision 25 spokesman Mark Rossi said after the hearing, which drew about 100 people to the Tazewell County courtroom. "The judge asked the questions we wanted to be asked."

After the Olympia school district closed Hopedale Elementary School in 2004, Rossi's group petitioned to switch the village from Olympia to the Delavan district in hopes of reopening the school. The Regional Board of School Trustees rejected the petition in December 2005, prompting Vision 25 to appeal.

An Olympia attorney said he's confident the judge will uphold the board's denial.

"I think based on today's arguments and the previous records, he has no choice but to support the regional board's finding," Brandon Wright said. "Based on the extensive record of evidence, by law it seems the verdict should remain the same."

Olympia supporters say the petition denial was in the best interest of the entire district's students.

Vision 25 backers say Hopedale is suffering because the detachment drive was blocked.

"Our village is floundering now," Hopedale Mayor Ace Eilts said. "We lost our grocery store. We have more houses for sale in town. Does it have to do with the school? I think so."

Rossi, himself an attorney in Pekin, said the judge probably will take at least a month before rendering a decision.

Olympia closed elementary schools in Hopedale, McLean and Stanford in 2004 to cut costs. Vision 25 then petitioned for the detachment.

The regional board voted 6-1 to reject the petition, saying it would hurt the educational offerings and finances of the entire Olympia district.

Vision 25 appealed to the court in January. Olympia unsuccessfully sought to have the appeal thrown out.

Wright said his argument Tuesday reinforced the board's finding.

"Cuts create a detriment in the educational welfare of the students," Wright said. "It's not clear if there would be educational benefits to detaching from Olympia. As it stands, students receive an adequate, appropriate and excellent education within the Olympia school district."

Olympia Superintendent Don Hahn said Olympia would have to make up $800,000 in tax revenue to balance the budget if it would lose Hopedale's 160 students.

"Clearly students in the Olympia school district would be hurt by having this detachment go forward," Hahn said. "Programs would be cut. I don't think the judge is going to cut our programs to benefit Delavan students."

Eilts saw it differently.

"Somebody's going to get hurt," he said. "Ultimately, it's the will of the people and what's best for the kids in Hopedale area and the benefits of Delavan."

Rossi said he thinks the judge really wanted to evaluate the size of groups for or against the petition. Rossi said the fact that so many people signed the petition sent a powerful message.

"Of course there are parents against the detachment from Hopedale as well," Rossi said. "I think the judge, though, really looked at the educational message and realized it's not all about the financial impact it may have."

Scott Brunton, the attorney for the Delavan school district, said the regional board didn't consider the Delavan perspective in reaching its decision. That was the focus of his argument in court Tuesday, he said.

"I think the regional board really missed the boat in looking into how the detachment would benefit the Delavan school district from a Delavan standpoint," said Brunton. "That's kind of the argument we had, because the district felt shortchanged as there was no mention of the benefit to Delavan for the annexation prior to the regional board's decision."

WEEK-TV contributed to this story.