Former HP Mayor Blasts School Referendum

The following letter was written and submitted by Raymond J. Geraci, former Mayor of Highland Park.

As a former Mayor and life-long resident of Highland Park, I, along with hundreds of my fellow residents are deeply concerned about the School District #112 proposed referendum of $198 million and the plan that has been endorsed by the School District. This plan is wrong for Highland Park and will forever change the very unique and brilliant neighborhood school plan that has served Highland Park and Highwood’s school children for well over 60 years.

What you are doing, in my opinion, not only will forever change this entire community, but we will have lost forever the charm, the beauty and the educational experience of the neighborhood school concept that has made Highland Park the envy of communities throughout the greater Chicago area and the entire Midwest.

In the last 12 to 18 months, I have had more Highland Parkers come up to me and say they are going to have to move out of their beloved Highland Park because they simply cannot afford the taxes any more. Your referendum will not only cause a flight out of Highland Park, but will make it almost impossible for new young families to move into Highland Park.

I know this is true! I received my new assessment on a small one-bedroom condo that I purchased 15 years ago for my mother before she passed away. The new assessment went up 29% for this year.

Your plan is flawed in at least three important areas. First, we do not need or want a single “big box” middle school campus on the west side of Highland Park. This is the least desirable location from the standpoint of accessibility and safety. Secondly, we currently have three middle schools—only one should be closed and the other two should be renovated and brought up to twenty-first century standards. Third, only one of the two schools on the west side should be closed and one should remain open—which would cut down on unnecessary busing.

I am not an expert on school administration, but I think I have a lot of expertise about Highland Park, the town I have lived in all my life. Certainly a lot more expertise than your consultants do about our community.

So, here’s my advice to you: keep two of the three existing Middle Schools.

The six schools that would serve K-through 4th grade should be: Braeside, Ravinia, Indian Trail, Oak Terrace, Sherwood (or Red Oak) and Northwood. The two middle school campuses should be Edgewood and Elm Place.

This plan preserves the neighborhood school concept that is so cherished by parents, students and the community-at-large.

By my calculations, the $198 million plus you are asking for is excessive and must be reduced. You are among the richest school districts in America. With more than $64 million in annual tax revenues, and a little more than only 4000 total students, you should be able to do a better job of budgeting your money. There is tremendous talent in this community that could help you bring down the costs of renovating and thus bring down the referendum of $198,000,000 to a more sensible and reasonable amount. And, please refrain from using the policy of “threats.”

Sincerely,

Raymond J. Geraci

Former Mayor of Highland Park