Transparency is a pretty subjective word when it comes to governance. And our local institutions can waver in their own definitions of what transparency looks like, depending on the issue and the era. That said, each of these bodies would claim a strong focus on transparency.
Here are five current instances where Oak Park and River Forest taxing bodies are earning trust from residents or, in our estimation, falling short.
District 97 Oak Park elementary schools: After the unexpected and still not fully understood resignation of Dr. Ushma Shah as its superintendent just ahead of the new school year last August, the school district is well into its search for its next leader.
We report this week that school board members are about to begin private interviews with as many as 6 to 8 finalists for the job. The happy twist is that the school board has announced it will hold a virtual town hall meeting on Jan. 29 where interested Oak Parkers can see and ask questions of the final 2 or 3 candidates. Those taking part will be asked to complete a survey sharing their takes on those finalists for the school board to consider.
District 90 River Forest elementary schools: It is stunning that in a school district with the resources and academic accomplishments of District 90 that negotiating a new contract with teachers has been so far impossible. Teachers rejected a tentative contract in November. Since then negotiations have stalled. Now the district has said it is reaching out to the state labor relations board and calling for both sides to publicly post their last and best offer for public viewing.
Finally, we will all know just how far apart these two sides remain. An odd, forced transparency.
OPRF: This high school district is no poster child for transparency on financial matters. We don’t have space to review all the twists and turns over the past 20 years of overtaxing and avoiding a tax hike referendum for the most recent major capital project.
That said, the district has been public in its planning and discussions of this massive updating of its aging facility. Last week, as it moved forward toward the third and arts-focused project, the school board is making plain it will go for a tax referendum. Might be late this year or in April of 2027. But this discussion has been in the open.
Park District of Oak Park: The unexpected decision in December to go for a $40 million tax referendum in March to replace the outdoor pool at Ridgeland Common with an indoor facility has been fully under the radar. The district’s failure to communicate that its plan was to eliminate an outdoor pool in favor of a new indoor facility is basically disqualifying. Not transparent in any way.
Village of River Forest: The village has an ethics issue regarding consideration of a since-withdrawn plan to install lights at a private tennis club. That a majority of the commission reviewing the plan have paid memberships in the club makes this issue plain. It may be following its code in assigning the review to a specific committee, but the ripe smell test makes a different solution imperative.
