Educational Opportunity Should Outweigh Traffic, Bus Time: Letter

The following letter was written and submitted by Cindy Hamilton.

Individuals who live in Chicago are often surprised when I talk about the financial realities of District 112 and the need to support the March 15 referendum. The misperception a lot of folks have is that in Highland Park and the north suburbs, money problems, and the looming threats to our public schools, simply do not exist.

The reality is that these problems exist. Because there have been ineffective, irresponsible decisions made up until this point because the community has been resistant to change.

The reality is that economics are different now. We must be proactive now before the choices are taken away from us. It’s 2016. Things change. Neighborhood schools change. It’s life, and we must, as adults, show our children that change is good and needed.

It is irresponsible to focus on issues like traffic and time on buses when we have much more at stake: our children’s safety and educational opportunities. It is dangerous to selfishly worry about time at a red light when there are children that can’t attend our schools because our decrepit buildings are not ADA compliant. It is frightening to me that there is more concern about saving a physical building rather than looking at innovative solutions to our economic reality. It’s worrisome that there is so much pride in old versions of neighborhoods when we can give our children the chance to make friends with other children of different, diverse backgrounds.

It is abhorrent to me that we are not embracing an opportunity to show our children that change is a part of life.

Cindy Hamilton, Highwood