Back To Drawing Board for District 113 Renovations

In the wake of District 113’s failed school referendum, school officials have formed community action teams to address facility issues that still plague Deerfield and Highland Park High School.

Back in April, voters defeated a. The proposal provided for capital improvements at both DHS and HPHS.

Now, District 113 is trying to move forward and wants input from the community about what its next steps should be. To do that, community action teams have been established.  

“These community volunteers are working together to analyze key aspects of the facility/technology plan. They will then report to a leadership team who will make a recommendation to the District 113 Board of Education about next steps,” a District 113 press released stated.

The areas of study include:

1.  Teaching and Learning/The Classroom Environment

2.  PE/Athletics/1914 Buildings/DHS Athletic Fields

3.  Building Systems/Building Envelope/Life Safety

4.  Finance/Cost Analysis/Budget Development/Cost Estimating

5.  Market Research

The market research team will begin conducting a qualitative and quantitative survey in the community sometime later this month. 

“The qualitative surveys will be focus group interviews with a random sampling of community members. Facilitators of these focus groups will be market research experts. They will ask questions about the facility plan that failed as well as gain insight into the facility and technology plan priorities that community members espouse,” the press released explained and will be conducted later this month and in early September.

“The quantitative study will be an on-line survey. It is anticipated that all community members will be invited to participate in the survey.”

According to District 113's website, no date has been established for a future referendum ballot question. "We will initiate the study group process and will look forward to hearing recommendations that come out of this work," Harvey Cohen, Board of Education President explained.  

Click here to take a look at who is on the community action teams.