On this Juneteenth 2026, the Alliance for Black Youth and the Committee for Equity and Excellence in Education (CEEE) stated our commitment to supporting all students, and particularly Black students, at OPRF High School.
We express our grave disappointment with the OPRFHS administration for prioritizing capital investments without designating funds to provide recommended supports for students who need them.
We appreciate the District 200 board members who have spoken up on behalf of students’ academic needs, including the need to provide high-impact tutoring and to provide essential services with urgency.
In the context of the history of this country, this suburb, and of OPRF, we call on the administration to prioritize student learning, and to recommit to their stated goal of equity by initiating appropriate academic supports for students for school year 2026-2027.
Over the last four years independent freshman all honors program evaluations, parent requests, school instructional and support services administrators, and the Historical Harms to the Black Community and Suggested Repairs inquiry have all recommended significant new equity-centered student resources.
Finally, in April the Board Community Finance Committee recommended immediate action around neglected instructional resources that are essential to fulfilling the racial equity goals of D200.
We urge the D200 board to direct Superintendent Johnson and the administration to provide these critical services.
The Alliance for Black Youth exists to improve outcomes for Black youth across Oak Park and River Forest by centering youth voice, fostering collaboration, and advancing meaningful action. CEEE is a multiracial group of Oak Park and River Forest residents advocating for racial equity at OPRF High School.
Jim Schwartz
on behalf of the Alliance for Black Youth and CEEE