The District 200 Facilities Referendum results were certified on Nov. 29. More than 35,000 ballots were cast, and the No vote prevailed by just 28 votes. The statement “every vote counts” certainly applied in this situation. A huge thank-you to each of the 17,852 citizens who voted no and to everyone who was engaged in this debate on both sides.
While the reasons for each personal vote varied, we are gratified that so many residents rejected the idea that the primary driver for the high school’s facilities planning should be a 40-meter pool built on the site of the parking garage. Undoubtedly, the high overall cost of the project, coupled with the relatively smaller costs directed toward facilities other than the pool and replacement garage were factors that influenced many of the voting decisions.
Of course, the defeat of the referendum means that the issue of the OPRF swimming pools continues. This provides an opportunity to create an even better building and facilities plan, with a more comprehensive look at all areas of the high school in addition to the aquatics and physical education needs.
We would like to thank the citizens of Oak Park and River Forest for paying attention as we made our case during the Vote No campaign. Thank you as well to our many donors and volunteers for their efforts to educate voters. We hope we can count on you to stay informed on the many issues confronting our high school and communities in the months ahead.
Bridgett Baron, Dori Bernstein, Marty Bernstein, Jack Davidson, Chris Donovan, Karen Doty, Bruce Kleinman, Maureen Kleinman, Byron Lanning, Mike Nevins, Mike Poirer, Gina Sennello, Monica Sheehan, Doug Springer, Leslie Sutphen, Robert Zeh
Members of OPRF Pragmatic Pool Solutions