School District 112

As a candidate for a Highland Park City Council seat, I thank the Northshore School District 112 for hearing and responding to the distress of many community families by delaying the implementation of the BDR3 proposal for 1 year.

I also thank Mayor Rotering and the current members of our City Council for their continuing efforts to give voice to the public and support to the impacted citizens and families, while recognizing that this is primarily the jurisdiction of the 112th board.

I personally hope that this extension will enable concerned citizens and members of, and candidates for, the board to be newly elected in April of 2017, to review our problems and bring forth modified and additional proposals designed to correct the issues and resolve the long term viability of our school system with the support, acceptance and participation of those who are most effected by proposed changes.

The problem is not going away.

Based on best practice statistics and studies, we have too many buildings for too few students and too little money to carry them for the long term.

Some schools will need to be closed. Some children will be required to travel differently each day to get what we strive for to be our highest standards of education.

Some additional funding may be required, whether through additional borrowing or increased taxes.

Which buildings remain and which are consigned to history and repurposing is clearly the question at hand.

Our board members and our population must move forward with fresh, new ideas to dissolve the acrimony which this debate has caused in all of Highland Park.

We are all neighbors and friends with the common interest of keeping our city as the jewel of the north shore and the model of functioning well for all of the community’s best interests.

This problem is solvable through communication, imagination, cooperation, negotiation and mutual respect.

Let’s roll up our sleeves and get back to work.

The ball is once again in our court.

December 14, 2016