Rotering Mum on Referendum Stance

HIGHLAND PARK, IL - Just about everyone in Highland Park is talking about the North Shore School District 112 referendum, but not the Mayor.

Mayor Nancy Rotering, a Democratic candidate for the office of Illinois’ 10th District U.S. Congress, has taken no public stand on the issue that some have referred to as a “civil war” in Highland Park.

The referendum question on the ballot for voters in District 112 (which also includes Highwood and Fort Sheridan) is whether or not a plan to close some schools and merge three middle schools into one at the current site of Red Oak and Sherwood schools should be implemented. Supporters have praised the possibilities of keeping strong extracurricular programs, upgrading the buildings that will be kept and adding full-day kindergarten. Opponents have criticized the plan for possibly creating traffic issues, adding to the time children will spend on a bus and moving fifth graders into a large middle school environment.

The Mayor’s lack of stance has troubled some, including Stuart Kupfer, a local doctor who expressed his disappointment in a letter to the Daily North Shore.

“The referendum and its proposal to demolish schools and consolidate into one middle school to serve the entire city of Highland Park not only raises important community and educational issues about neighborhood schools, but will also impact property values, property taxes, and local traffic patterns, noise and safety.,” Kupfer wrote, adding that one would expect Rotering to “provide the necessary leadership to clearly articulate her position and explain what she believes to be in the community’s best interest.”

Kupfer questions the motives behind Rotering’s lack of acknowledgement of an issue that has resulted in several letters submitted to publications like the Daily North Shore and Highland Park Patch and one that has elicited responses from a number of former Highland Park Mayors and other public officials in Lake County.

“One has to question whether Ms. Rotering has chosen to take the politically safe approach of taking no stand so as not to offend anyone who might consider giving her a vote in the 10th District Congressional race,” Kupfer wrote.

“Ms. Rotering’s absence on this issue is particularly disappointing since her campaign ads claim that she is a strong leader with the political courage to take a stand on difficult and challenging issues.”

Rotering’s campaign did not respond to a Patch request for a statement on the referendum. She faces Brad Schneider in Tuesday’s 10th District primary, with the winner facing incumbent 10th District Congressman Bob Dold in the general election. A spokesperson for Dold also neglected to respond to a request for a comment on the referendum.

Read Kupfer’s full letter on the Daily North Shore