Proposed Reconfiguration Model Will Best Serve D-112 Students: Board

The following letter was written and submitted by the North Shore School District 112 Board of Education.

Our district has a long, proud history of providing its students with exceptional education. While our school buildings have served us well, the fact is that we can no longer afford to operate 12 schools and provide the same level of outstanding educational programs and services. We have a choice: We can carry out a thoughtful, proactive plan that will put us on firm footing for decades, or place ourselves in a reactive position that would require making painful decisions that would include, but not be limited to, cutting programs and services, increasing class sizes, closing schools and redrawing boundaries.

We believe that educational excellence is not dependent on the location of a school building. Rather, the important factors that make lasting marks on our students have more to do with:

• the passion and expertise of our educators
• the strong partnerships we forge with families and the community
• the availability of adequate financial resources to support robust educational programming and extracurricular offerings

We simply don’t have the resources to maintain our current model. Without reconfiguration, we will have to close schools, and the remaining schools will be diminished in quality.

Over the last several years, we have explored dozens of reconfiguration options. One middle school with separate wings for grades 5-6 and 7-8 on the Sherwood/Red Oak site and renovating six schools to serve students in grades K-4 is the best option for our students.

Reconfiguration is complex, and our schools are near and dear to the hearts of our community members. We recognize and appreciate that people care deeply about this issue. As elected representatives of the community, it is our responsibility to serve as stewards of our educational system and maintain the educational quality and fiscal stability of the district. As such, we must take a holistic view in addressing the single largest challenge our District has faced in decades. We believe the proposed model will best serve our students and community for decades to come. We warmly invite you to attend a community conversation in November or December to learn more.

Click here for a complete schedule.

Sincerely,

The North Shore School District 112 Board of Education

Michael Cohn, President

Samantha Stolberg

Jacqueline Denham

Eric Ephraim

Karla Livney

Yumi Ross

Jane Solmor-Mordini