NSSD112: Reconfiguration 2.0 Still Not Committed To Closures

HIGHLAND PARK, IL — There's now a timetable for Reconfiguration 2.0 to release its reorganization plan for North Shore School District 112. Representatives from the citizens group, which was established in the wake of a roundly rejected school consolidation referendum, met with the NSSD112 school board twice this week and presented their plans for the coming year, according to reports from Pioneer Press and Daily North Shore.

The Reconfiguration 2.0 plan won't be released until after the April school board elections in which five of the 9 candidates seeking seats are currently members of the group. Before presenting the plan in the summer, the group first plans to hire Washington, D.C. based consulting company LINK Strategic Partners to hold a series of focus groups, forums and a survey in February and March, Pioneer Press reports.

The plan would need to be finalized and approved by the board by December in order to appear on the ballot next March, according to Pioneer Press.

During this week's meeting, the first to be attended by new interim co-superintendents Jane Westerhold and Edward Rafferty, current members of the NSSD112 board sounded skeptical about again canvassing residents over whether they wanted to keep open all 12 of the each of the district's school buildings, DNS reports.

"I think we need to tell the community that this is not an option,” Samantha Stolberg, president of the board, told representatives of Reconfiguration 2.0, according to the report.

The district is also seeking to fill several administrative openings, including principals at Northwood Jr. High School, where the principal is expected to retire, and Sherwood Elementary School, where the principal has accepted a position of assistant superintendent with Township High School District 113. Those positions have a Feb. 28 deadline, while there are also plans to replace the district's Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning by July, after last week's announcement of the resignation of Jennifer Ferrari.