Oak Park and River Forest High School District 200 has a key decision in front of it, with the resignation of Dr. Laurie Fiorenza, assistant superintendent for student learning.
The resignation is effective June 30, and the search for a replacement has begun, according to Superintendent Dr. Greg Johnson. The position closed for applications May 5.
“Certainly, some big shoes to fill, and it’s an incredibly important position in our district,” Johnson said. “We do have a number of applicants, and exactly who we are going to interview hasn’t been set.”
Johnson said the district will likely interview fewer than 10 candidates, adding, “We’re hopeful to find many quality candidates and make a hard choice. For a lot of reasons, OPRF is a destination institution and so we’re looking forward to being faced with that hard choice.”
What’s not been made public is why Fiorenza resigned. She declined an interview request with the Wednesday Journal through district communications. Her resignation letter said, “As I transition to new opportunities, I appreciate my time in the district and the important work being done here. I will ensure a smooth transition and assist in any way I can to support the handoff of my responsibilities.”
Fiorenza’s resignation letter also noted that she was “grateful for the opportunities over the past six years to learn and grow as a leader alongside dedicated colleagues. My time here has been formative, and I appreciate the experiences shaping my professional journey.”
Further insight came from an email Fiorenza shared with all faculty and staff on April 11.
“As I transition into the next chapter of my life, I remain appreciative of all I’ve learned here and the work we’ve done together,” she wrote. “Thank you for the support, collaboration, and shared commitment to students. I wish you all continued success.”
Among Fiorenza’s accomplishments was guiding the district’s academic approach through the COVID-19 pandemic, Johnson said.
“She was hired before COVID, and then a few months later she was in the middle of that,” he said. “I think it’s fair to say she was a key member of the schoolwide effort and find a way to get through those months (and) years.”
“She’s done a lot to develop college (and) career pathways, working with division heads on curriculum development, the job responsibilities, and they are core to what we do.”
Another accomplishment was the junior class’s performance on the SAT exam in 2023-24, according to the annual Illinois Report Card 2023-24 released in October. The SAT is an admission test accepted by all U.S. colleges and is intended to determine a student’s level of college readiness in the academic subjects of English/language arts and math.
About 37.5% of students scored at Level 4 in ELA, which exceeds proficiency, up from 27.8% in 2023. Almost 20% (19.3%) scored at Level 4 in Math, compared with 17.5% in 2023. Over 10% of students (10.3%) were at Level 1 in ELA, the lowest level that indicates students partially meet standards, while 21.4% were at Level 1 in Math, down from 27.3% in 2023.
The district was rated as Commendable, with an overall index score of 90.36. Exemplary schools are those that rank in the top 10% of the state, while Commendable schools rank in the next 67%. OPRF scored 89.53 in 2022-23.