Envision-sustained greatness! With your Yes vote, the District 200 school board will implement yet another vision that will serve the OPRF High School community in perpetuity. Thank goodness our school board had the guts back in 1924 to build the athletic stadium. Have you ever watched a loved one play there or attended an athletic event in that space? It is an electrifying experience! Subsequently, in 1927 our school board had the vision and stewardship to approve the first high school field house in the country, which expanded physical education and athletics to girls. The power of these 90-year-old visions serves students and the long-term health and vibrancy of our community every single day!
The current vision, which includes expanded and modernized classrooms, performing arts space, student activity space and an appropriate-sized pool that satisfies health, safety and competition code requirements will also accommodate a wide variety of learners, interests, ability levels and community groups for decades to come.
Oak Park and River Forest, like all communities, are in a perpetual state of recruiting new families, new businesses and new investment from both private and public sources. Our collective approval of this upgrade to a key community asset is critical to keeping our community attractive academically, socially, and economically. This project isn’t about the needless spending of money; this project is about maintaining our community’s ability to compete in a crowded market.
High-quality schools have always been the core of our OP-RF community. As lifelong residents and beneficiaries of everything public, it is the shared duty of all voters to equip our public schools and our faculty and staff with facilities and amenities that will upgrade teaching, learning and student preparation for college and career. The marketplace of higher education and the job economy continues to demand more; it is our duty to deliver more!
Let’s remember, our community elected seven bright-minded representatives who are responsible for building visions, analyzing options, and making hard decisions. This high-performance team of folks has studied the facility upgrade matter for over 12 years and has evaluated over 20 plans. Further, the board unanimously approved the proposed plan. Let’s show our respect for the board’s wisdom and their endless hours of volunteer service by voting Yes for Referendum 200.
If you are worried about the financial impact on your taxes, go to the Tax Impact Calculator on the OPRF High School website (http://www.oprfhs.org/facilities/Tax-Impact-Calculator.cfm). We encourage everyone to Vote YES for the long-term health and vibrancy of our Oak Park-River Forest community!
Mary Jo & Stephen Schuler
Oak Park
