Over the last decade, the OPRF High School board has shown it is a responsible and thoughtful group of elected leaders through its financial management, community engagement, efforts to improve the school, and more.
I support District 200 in selecting Option 2, which allows the district to fund Project 2 responsibly through debt certificates, foundation funding, and a portion of the fund balance. Option 2, which does not require a referendum, is a responsible, well-thought-out funding approach that does not add an additional tax levy to taxpayers and will allow the project to finish one year sooner than the other options.
This decision is not just about the bottom line. The case has been clearly made regarding the century-old facilities and the student needs that will be met by these Project 2 renovations. Quality of life in an academic setting matters tremendously for our students. Physical education is an important component of raising healthy adults with intellectual minds who take care of their physical and mental well-being. Many students receive most of their engagement with physical activity through PE at school in which they discover their unique talents and what brings them joy through movement.
Parents know that one year matters extraordinarily in the development of our children. The environment they are in and experiences they have in a given year can make a significant difference in their lives, positively or negatively.
Current fifth graders, including my son, will be freshmen in 2026 when these facilities are finished if the board does not delay. These 800+ Oak Park and River Forest fifth-graders are worth it. They deserve all four years, just as current sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders deserve their own taste of life at OPRF with modernized, right-sized, thoughtfully configured physical education facilities.
The board has a responsible, well-thought-out, accountable funding option that would allow us to not lose another year. This is a choice that centers the students while also honoring the board’s obligation to make fiscally responsible decisions for the district. I urge the board to choose Option 2 to fund Project 2.
Alison Welch
Oak Park resident, OPRF parent