Park Officials Oppose Use of Olson Park as a District 112 Middle School

Park District of Highland Park officials have expressed that they are unwilling to share their half of Olson Park to accommodate one North Shore School District 112 option for school reconfiguration.

Board President Scott Meyers during a joint meeting with the school board on Tuesday made it clear the park district is opposed to sharing the site because of their goal to protect open space, according to the Highland Park News.

The District 112 option involving Olson Park is to construct a middle school serving about 1,000 fifth thru eighth graders there and another 800 at a revamped Edgewood Middle School. In the Olson Park option, the district would need to use a portion of the park space for their own field space.

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“While we certainly respect that half of it is your property and you are free to do with it as you wish … it does create some logistical problems for us and some philosophical problems for us,” Meyers said. “To the extent that you are looking to the park district to provide access to our property for your fields, that is going to be a big issue for us.”

Meyers said the Park District is more open to talks regarding a portion of the West Ridge Park property, which District 112 would need to construct a middle school campus for all students on the adjacent sites of Sherwood and Red Oak elementary schools.

“I think a much easier path for all of us would be to continue our discussions of West Ridge,” said Meyers.

more via the Highland Park News