District 90 Seeks Input on Roosevelt Improvements

Roosevelt Middle School is located at 7560 Oak Avenue in River Forest.

River Forest School District 90 officials continue to seek the community's input on $1 million in improvements at Roosevelt Middle School, which could include renovated parking lots and the addition of lighting and bike racks, according to the Chicago Tribune.  A meeting was held this week to inform the community regarding discussions on the project at the school, which the school board delayed in March since "they thought a more extensive dialogue with the community was needed," according to the Tribune. 

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Steve Gevinson 'Acts with Integrity and Courage': Letter to the Editor

Got something to say? Send your letter to the editor to oakpark@patch.com.

Dear Editor, I am writing to highly recommend Steve Gevinson for District 200 Board of Education. I have known Steve as a colleague, supervisor and friend for 19 years. He acts with integrity and courage, unafraid to ruffle feathers if he thinks something is in the best interest of students and the school community at large. Steve is always open to debating ideas, even when they are not initially to his liking. He clearly cares about the community and the school and has a wealth of relevant experiences and insights that would make him a great fit for the Board. In 2003, Steve was instrumental in convincing the administration and BOE to invest in the Spoken Word program at OPRFHS. If not for his impassioned advocacy, I would have likely …

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Steve Gevinson 'Best Choice' for School Board: Letter to the Editor

Got something to say? Send your letter to the editor to oakpark@patch.com.

I’ve known Steve Gevinson for over 40 years, as a friend, business associate and co-author of our book, Increase the Peace, a manual for teachers who want to facilitate discussions regarding school violence.  Based on that long-term experience, covering two-thirds of my life, I believe I speak with some authority about Steve’s character and suitability for a position on the school board.  Steve is perhaps the most ethical person I know. I do not mean to say he follows some strict code of conduct, but rather that he aims simply to do the right thing. He’s the sort of person who seems to believe that the world would be a better place if we do our best to be honest, forthright and decent to our fellow humans, even if it’s not always in our …

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Assessor: Error Underestimates District 97 Referendum's Tax Impact

Wrinkle in ballot question calculation causes confusion.

With the April 5 election just weeks away, support and opposition camps are lining up and taking sides in District 97's multi-million dollar referendum question that would raise property taxes but save dozens of teacher jobs and school programs.  But a technical snafu with the ballot question's wording — one that a top tax official says dramatically underestimates the impact on taxpayer wallets — is raising new concerns about the referendum's validity.  Ali ElSaffar, Oak Park's Township assessor, said language in the ballot question does not factor in the state's equalizer, a number the Illinois Department of Revenue determines each year to ensure that Cook County assessments are in line with assessments from across the state.  That means …

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District 97 Board Sends $47.9 Million Referendum To Ballot

Convinced that state tax money is on the way, school board cuts request by more than a third.

The upcoming April ballot referendum recently proposed by Oak Park Elementary District 97 school leaders just got a lot smaller – $27 million smaller.  After approving a $75 million referendum option on Jan. 11, the District 97 school board learned the state had approved a new income tax increase that funds Illinois schools. Newly confident that state money will arrive in coming years, the board on Tuesday decided to drop consideration of a contingency plan and instead unanimously approved a new $47.9 million referendum option. The decision was bolstered by a pledge over the weekend from Supt. Al Roberts, who said he would make $925,000 in cuts even if the referendum passes, with $800,000 of those cuts permanent. That savings totaled $5 …

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Plans Outlined for Full-Day Kindergarten in River Forest

Study group presents financial, location details to school board.

A study group comprised of  River Forest Public Schools District 90 teachers and its superintendent unveiled plans for a proposed expansion to full-day kindergarten in River Forest.  The three options, detailed during Tuesday night's school board meeting at Roosevelt Middle School, call for expanding the current half-day program in District 90. They include:  The plans are still in the preliminary stages and school officials are figuring out ways to create and pay for more classroom space.  The full-day option would be paid for by the district, officials said. The extended day option could include a charge of roughly $20 per day for parents who participate, according to the Superintendent's Leadership Council, a group that presented the …

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Casey Cora

9:56 pm on Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Hi Mona. We'll look into it.   more ›

Superintendent Outlines $6 Million In Potential Cuts

'Gut-wrenching' choices outlined at Tuesday's school board meeting.

Oak Park Elementary School District 97 Supt. Al Roberts presented his recommendations on program and staffing cuts if the April referendum were to fail at the voting booth. Here's what's on the chopping block, according to Roberts: elementary art classes, middle school sports, and the CAST and BRAVO performing arts programs — along with dozens of other cuts including some layoffs. The core curriculum still would remain largely untouched, however, with most classroom teaching positions saved in the $5.7 million of proposed reductions. "There isn't one recommendation on this list that any administrator feels good about," Roberts said at Tuesday's school board meeting. "It's not a direction I want to lead this district." But Roberts said the …

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Dates Set For District 97 Referendum Discussion

School board is moving ahead with referendum plans aimed for an April election in Oak Park.

With the clock ticking, the Oak Park Elementary School District 97 Board of Education began solidifying some dates for discussions on a likely referendum before the April election. There will be two study sessions by the board next month in preparation for a referendum option. These meetings are set for Nov. 2 at 7-9 p.m. and Nov. 13 from 10 a.m. to noon. Both sessions will feature a short time for public comments. The sites of the discussions will be determined later. The board has also set a public forum for Nov. 18 from 7-9 p.m. The site for that is will also be determined later. Another public forum is slated for January. Additionally, community members will be able to visit the District 97 website  — potentially as early as the end of…

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Program Spotlights New OPRF Leader

Steven Isoye takes the stage for a meet-and-greet session with parents.

Steven Isoye took the stage at Oak Park-River Forest High School's Little Theater and introduced himself to dozens of parents, and putting the new District 200 superintendent in the spotlight suited some in the crowd just fine.  "He was picked kind of quickly, and I really didn't know what was going on [with the search]," said Maria Citko, an Oak Park mom whose children have attended OPRF under three consecutive superintendent regimes.  Isoye took questions from Board of Education president Dietra Millard during Tuesday's meet and greet. Most were geared toward Isoye's resume and teaching background, which includes hopscotching stints as a science teacher at high schools in the northern suburbs.  He made the leap into school administration…

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