An impending OPRF Board of Education vote is likely the most consequential decision in its long history: whether you, an Oak Park or River Forest resident or taxpayer, matter.
It’s a vote on how to finance the $100+ million Project 2 physical education facilities at the high school — with debt you will vote on to approve, or debt that intentionally bypasses you.
Most major school building projects across the country is financed through debt approved by voters. This is the norm; this is the best practice.
In November 2020, an advisory referendum in Oak Park asked, “Should capital projects more than $5 million be approved by voters?” More than 77% said Yes — upward of 23,000 voters.
Yet, here we are. Again. Seriously considering bypassing voters, ignoring overwhelming voter sentiment, and opening up old wounds. For a pool.
How extreme has this become? Letters in these pages, Facebook and board meeting comments by Project 2 supporters arguing that right now it is just too important to leave to voters like you.
Some argue we don’t need to go to referendum because we can pay for these debt certificates without referendum bonds. That’s only because OPRF has overtaxed us 17 of the past 19 years, taking more from us than needed to run the school. A 2013 community finance committee told them to stop doing this; it was making Oak Park and River Forest less affordable.
This took millions out of taxpayers’ pockets — dollars that you could’ve spent on tutoring, medical bills, college tuition, retirement funds. It would be different if the school used the extra funds for reading specialists or recruiting more Black teachers or upgrading all the science labs. But they put most of it in reserve.
This isn’t how an organization that values its constituents and their hard-earned money behaves.
This is where I’d encourage you to write the board and pack the boardroom to tell them you matter and to do referendum financing. But they already know how they will vote, whether they respect you and will keep their promises to you.
I’m running for the District 200 Board of Education because I believe we deserve better government. I’m the only candidate who says bypassing voters is wrong. I’m the only one saying taking more taxes from residents than the school needs is wrong. The only one talking about facilities upgrades beyond physical education, and about affordability. I’m the only one vowing to do the right, not the easy, thing in my service. Even for a pool.
Learn more about my positions on the issues at www.BrianforOPRF.com. And vote for me — and only me in this race — March 20-April 4.
Brian Souders is a candidate for the OPRF Board of Education in the April 4 election.