Thursday, April 4, 2013
A River Forest resident has accused the Highland Park and Deerfield high school district of pressuring students to supports its $89 million bond referendum. The superintendent says there is "absolutely no coercion."
Update 4/4 at 6 p.m. The co-chair of CLEAR (Community Leaders Educating and Advocating for the 113 Referendum) has issued a statement responding to claims that District 113 faculty is pressuring students to support the $89 million bond referendum. CLEAR co-chair Tony Horwitz responds: "CLEAR is an independent ballot initiative committee, organized to educate and advocate in support of the District 113 referendum. Our organization sent out a registration link for the April 6 and 7th Paint the Town Red activities to our entire database of supporters -- which includes thousands of local residents -- to encourage them to sign up for our get out the vote activities over the weekend. There are also independent student groups who have organized …
Friday, March 22, 2013
Richard Becker, who wrote an editorial on Patch two years ago opposing District 113's bond referendum, explains why he supports the district's latest plan to renovate Highland Park and Deerfield High Schools.
Its been two years since I posted my thoughts here on the 2011 District 113 referendum. I opposed the $133 million referendum, yet I support this year's $89 million version -- a better planned, more modestly priced and most importantly, broader-based community effort than the referendum that failed two years ago. This pleases some, angers others. But I have my reasons, which I elaborate on below. Read more about the District 113 referendum here. The 2011 referendum was based on a plan that had been designed by Wight Architects and approved by the 113 School Board. I had no involvement in the community process leading up to the referendum. After the plan was unveiled, I objected, along with others, since I believed it flawed due to both …
Monday, March 18, 2013
The community group that opposes District 113's $89 million bond referendum to improve Highland Park and Deerfield High Schools explains how it came up with its alternative plan.
How did the community group that opposes the District 113 referendum put its own plan together? First, some background. In January, the District 113 School Board unanimously approved a multi-phase plan to update Highland Park and Deerfield High Schools. Phase one is expected to cost $114 million. The district is asking taxpayers to foot $89 million of that total in the form of a bond referendum in the April election. Have an opinion on the referendum? Sign up to be a Local Voices blogger to get your message out to our readers. Since the plan and referendum were announced, two community groups have sprung up: one to advocate in favor of the district's plan, and one to advocate against it. Education First, the group that opposed the failed…
Monday, March 11, 2013
Since District 113 announced it would be asking residents for $89 million to help pay for renovations to Highland Park and Deerfield High Schools, some have wondered: could the district improve the schools using existing funds alone?
Editor's note: This is the second of a series of articles exploring the District 113 referendum. Read the first story here. Since District 113 announced it would be asking residents for $89 million to help pay for renovations to Highland Park and Deerfield High Schools, some have wondered: could the district improve the schools using existing funds alone? Get caught up on the District 113 referendum here. Education First, the community group that opposes the referendum, believes it can. The group has proposed its own plan to address the schools' needs that it estimates would cost $60 million, all of which, its members argue, could come from the district's fund balance. The district currently has about $47 million, or about half of its …
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
As the District 113 referendum vote approaches, two community groups are working to educate voters about the $89 million bond referendum that would be used to renovate Highland Park and Deerfield High Schools.
Editor's note: This is the first of a series of articles exploring the District 113 referendum. Check back later this week for more coverage. Two community groups have been seeking support from voters since District 113 decided to ask residents for $89 million to help finance five years' worth of projects for Highland Park and Deerfield High Schools in January. Get caught up on the District 113 referendum here. One group has a history of getting results. Education First formed in 2010 to oppose the district's $133 million referendum that was ultimately defeated in 2011. The district reached out to members of Education First specifically as it went back to the drawing board to come up with this year's more modestly priced proposal. The …
Monday, March 4, 2013
A member of the study group that helped the Highland Park and Deerfield high school district assemble its renovation plan advocates for District 113's $89 million referendum.
Over the past 20 months, I, along with more than 100 industry experts and community residents, have studied the physical and educational conditions of both Deerfield and Highland Park High Schools and found the following: Experts have crafted a master plan and recommended the critical elements to be addressed with referendum and operating dollars. By supporting the referendum we are not passing the problem on to our children or future Deerfield and Highland Park residents. What do you think of the District 113 referendum? Post your opinion to our local voices. You must decide if you trust the industry experts and many residents who worked thousands of hours, to help craft the rehab plan we need for our children and our community. Simply …
A Highland Park resident explains how, if the high school district's $89 million referendum passes, he will no longer be able to afford to live in his home.
We are writing with concern about District 113’s proposed referendum for enlargement of Highland Park and Deerfield High School’s athletic and classroom facilities. In the face of dropping school enrollments, District 112’s need for capital improvements, the persistently sluggish economic recovery and deflated home values, we feel the referendum would place an unwarranted tax burden on the citizens of Highland Park and Deerfield. While the current referendum asks “only” $89 million, the actual cost of the Phase One project that tax payers will be funding is $120.4 million; not too far south of the $133 million District 113 asked for two years ago. District 113 says it will use an additional $25 million from existing budgets, which are …
Friday, February 22, 2013
Learn about the $89 million referendum Highland Park's high school district will ask residents to vote on in April, then find out what Patch bloggers and commenters are saying about it.
The District 113 School Board voted unanimously last month to put an $89 million referendum on the April ballot to pay for five years' worth of projects for Highland Park and Deerfield high schools. If you have your own thoughts to share, do so in the comments section. Or, better yet, sign up to be a Local Voices blogger to get your message out to our readers. The plan is projected to cost $114 million. Of that total, $25 million will come from the district's reserve funds and the remaining $89 million will come from District 113 residents. If the referendum passes, District 113 residents who own homes valued at $300,000 will pay $173 in taxes to the district in levy year 2013, a $47 increase from levy year 2012. If the referendum fails, …
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Read why columnist Ed Brill believes the timing is critical for Highland Park and Deerfield to make a major investment in its high schools.
I don't like the road travelled to get here, but on the April municipal ballot, I will be voting in favor of the District 113 referendum. For more than two years now, residents in District 113 have discussed and considered a funding plan to improve Highland Park and Deerfield High Schools. Emotions have run high. Facts have been debated. Tempers have flared. I have had one of those short tempers at times in the process. I believe District 113 has done a woeful job of educating voters on exactly why the referendum is needed, why the number is so similar to what was on the ballot two years ago, why they have large fiscal reserves that aren't being used for this project and why some of the projected costs of the project are so outsized. …
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
The Highland Park-Highwood and Deerfield Area Leagues of Women Voters have endorsed District 113's referendum. Read why they endorsed this one and not the district's last attempt two years ago.
The Highland Park-Highwood and Deerfield Area Leagues of Women Voters have endorsed District 113's referendum, which ask voters to spend $89 million to renovate Deerfield and Highland Park High Schools. In a blog post published on Patch last week, the League writes that the referendum meets League criteria, which includes "clear educational objectives reflecting the expectations and desires of the community and show the linkage between the objectives and the request for additional funding." Want District 113 news in your inbox? Subscribe to Patch's newsletter. The renovation plan includes getting rid of building C on Highland Park's campus and replacing it with new classrooms. The physical education facilities in building C would be …
Walter (Tripp) Hainsfurther
6:59 am on Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Why should Student use his real name? Most of those here who make posts (on both sides) don't. more ›