Highland Park District 112 Marks Sherwood School Reopening With Ribbon Cutting

HIGHLAND PARK, IL — Highland Park School District 112 marked the reopening of Sherwood School with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, as district and school leaders are getting ready to welcome students, families and staff back into the renovated building next week.

Superintendent Monica Schroeder called the event a homecoming for the school community and said the project opens a new chapter for Sherwood.

“It is especially meaningful to look around this room and see so many members of the current and former Sherwood community here with us today,” Schroeder said. “Today we get to celebrate the completion of this incredible project and officially welcome the Sherwood community back home for students, for families, and staff. This is the beginning of a new chapter that will serve this community for years to come.”

Schroeder said the campus now includes a universal design playground created in partnership with Play Illinois. She said students were able to help shape that part of the project.

Principal Kevin Saunders said the renovation now reflects the school’s culture.

Saunders also pointed to the work of staff during the transition, including packing, moving and restarting classes in a new location during winter conditions. He said the effort kept the focus on “the students, their growth, their well-being, their safety.”

Former District 112 Superintendent Mike Lubelfeld said the school site offered room to improve traffic flow and parking, along with a new gymnasium, a universal playground and a centralized production kitchen.

Lubelfeld also said the project preserved parts of the school's original look while modernizing the building.

Board of Education President Art Kessler said classroom spaces were redesigned around student learning.

“Every classroom has been reimagined with flexible furniture, better lighting, and upgraded technology. These are spaces built around how students actually learn,” Kessler said.

Council member Annette Lidawer, who was in attendance, tied the school work to broader public investment in Highland Park. She said she had previously worked with the same contractors while serving on the District 113 School Board and had watched the progress of school projects over time.

“Highland Park is just a beautiful place to raise your family and kids, and we are underscoring it by doing all this investment in our kids' community,” Lidawer said.