The things you learn...

A few interesting things came out of the discussion last week with Oak Park Township Trustee Eric Davis, who's running for the Oak Park and River Forest High School board next year. One was his idea about the scuttled plans between the Park District of Oak Park and Oak Park elementary school District 97 sharing space. Davis suggested — very cautiously as it was just an idea —about whether a top structure could be built on the school's parking garage that could house both D97 and Park District administrative offices. As an architect, Davis insists it's about thinking outside of the box to come up with solutions. He added that such an idea might not be feasible if the parking garage is unable to support an additional floor structurally. But this kind of outside-the-box thinking is what got current D200 board member Sharon Patchak-Layman in "trouble" with her fellow members. She suggested at a meeting earlier this fall about D97 possibly sharing space at the high school. It was idea she made during the board comments section of that meeting, and one — along with numerous other statement's she's made on a host of other issues — that led her fellow members to consider nixing the board comments section from future meetings.

The board has not made a decision on that recommendation yet.