Letter to the Editor: Thoughts on District 67 from Former School Board President

History is taught to learn from the past. The Golf School Board is contemplating repeating terrible part of our history by investigating the sale of one of our two school properties again.

See: http://www.sbsystemsinc.com/HynesSchoolArticles1989-1991.pdf.  These articles were retrieved from the Morton Grove Public Library and placed here for convenience.

The sale of the Hynes School property in 1989 by the Golf School Board divided the community for years.  The school board talked about the sale of Hynes for one and a half years; held many community meetings where it was apparent that the majority of the community favored a 2-school school district; but still sold the Hynes School property less than a month before elections.  In November 1989, all four candidates against the sale of Hynes (including myself) were elected by more than two to one.  It took two years to undo the sale to the condo developer.

Golf School District has been "running out" of money since 1988. For 23 years, funds have been found by selling bonds, renegotiating outstanding debt by refunding, grants, new property and increases in district property values, reduction/reassignment of staff, elimination of activities and, most recently, concessions by the Golf Teachers Association. Everything possible to live within their means has been done. But now it is time to face the reality and place a referendum question on the ballot.

Golf School District has not had a tax rate increase since 1967. It is the only school district in the village, township and area that has not had a referendum. Both Hynes and Golf have achieved incredible academic results in the past two decades, proving the quality of education and the recruitment and retention of quality teachers and staff.

In February 2010, the superintendent’s community finance committee recommended to the school board that the only solution is a referendum.  It was conveyed that all options were investigated by the superintendent at the time. 

The most important fund is the Education Fund and the only solution to continue the high quality of education is to add almost $2 million.  Potential referenda questions could be a one-time rate increase, an increase to the overall tax rate or a funding bond through raising our debt service limit to allow more borrowing.

The potential sale of Golf Middle School does not address the Education Fund and only addresses facilities.  Another $500,000 is needed immediately and almost $2 million to address all facility needs identified by the architects.

If our teachers and staff are able to achieve academic excellence and awards from Chicago Magazine, the National School Boards Association and Bright Red Apple as noted on the Golf67.net website, then it could be argued that the facilities are acceptable.

So, (1) the facilities are in need of repair but are acceptable enough to produce good students; (2) we have a tenured staff with more than 12 years seniority that is willing to give concessions back to the district to help the financial situation; (3) we have financial projections showing declines in fund balances; and (4) we have a community that when asked the last time (1989), voted to keep a 2-school school district.

I think it is time to officially ask this community for the $4 million. If all of the above is true and we want to maintain our 2-school school district, we have to pass the referendum question in March 2013.