SCHOOL NOTES
OPRF wraps up residency verification process
As of Monday, about 1,500 Oak Park and River Forest High School families went through the school’s residency verification process during the past week.
The totals were provided by the high school on Monday.
Tuesday wrapped up the school’s residency verification process, required for every parent and guardian with a student enrolled at OPRF. This was the second year in a row that OPRF conducted a spring-only check of every family’s place of residence, be it a home or rental unit. Parents and guardians are required to bring into the school proof-of-residency documents, such as leases or mortgage statements.
In all, about 2,000 parents or guardians went through last year’s verification process.
Prior to last year, verifying addresses was a scattered, rag-tag endeavor at OPRF, where families could bring in documents, upon request, at any point during the school year. Parent response was sporadic.
School administrators said the previous process was inefficient and cumbersome for staff. The verification period this year ran April 7-15. School officials maintain that an annual verification period with all families at the same time is a much better system.
$50K ‘outdoor classroom’ slated for Beye School
Beye Elementary School might be getting a new “outdoor classroom” space this summer, funded by the school’s PTO.
The parent group raised about $55,000 for the space, which will replace a playground used by younger students commonly known as “the little kids’ playground.” The new space is slated to include wheelchair accessibility, log benches, and a wooden playhouse and performance stage.
The PTO project was presented to the D97 Board of Education at its April 8 regular meeting. The project is funded entirely by the Beye PTO.
“We will soon have places for children to gather, learn, perform, sit and play,” according to the PTO’s letter to the school board.
The board is scheduled to take action on the proposed project on April 29.
OPRF hires additional math tutors
Oak Park and River Forest High School has hired two new math tutors, fulfilling a need and request made by students looking for more help with the subject. The school already has math tutors available before and after school, as well as lunch periods. But there were more students needing help in the subject than tutors available, according to school officials.
The District 200 Board of Education approved the new tutors on March 20.
