and THURSDAY, JUNE 28 at 7:30 PM in the Board Room at OPRFHS
On Tuesday, June 26 the OPRF Imagine Facilities team will present its findings and three concepts to the D200 School Board and initiate discussions with the Board about a potential long-term facilities master plan at a special board meeting. This is a public meeting, and all are welcome to attend.
On Thursday, June 28 at 7:30 PM a regular monthly meeting of the D200 School Board is scheduled. Public comments are taken at the beginning of meetings. Agendas (when available) will be posted HERE.
On Tuesday, 6/19 - D200 Committee of the Whole met and heard public comments from many Pragmatic Pool supporters urging a closer look at the high school's swimming requirements and a facilities solution less drastic than total demolition of the Field House.
This meeting comes one week before the Imagine OPRF team will discuss renovation proposals with the Board of Education. Although cost estimates are not yet included, all 3 proposals:
1. Necessitate full demolition of the Field House,
2. Include a 30-40 meter pool (larger than a standard 25-yd competition-sized high school pool)
3. Include a larger, 200-meter track to replace the existing track
Important to note: The IMAGINE plans have NOT taken into account any possible update of the 18-week PE swimming requirement at OPRFHS. This requirement is significantly lengthier than what other high schools in the Chicago area require. In addition, unlike other high schools, the current PE swimming requirement at OPRF does not provide an option to "test out" to students who already know how to swim.
It is important to understand that these two points create the argument for a larger pool. This significantly affects the price tag - AND our property taxes.
Please attend on June 19 - and consider making a public comment. Urge the D200 School Board to update its current PE swimming requirement and seek a more equitable pool solution.
In addition to the weak rationale for an overly large pool, the rationale for many of the other suggested facilities improvements do not seem to have been clearly articulated. The presentations at the community meetings on February 27 provided the best summary of the high school's needs and the issues to be resolved by the facilities updates - focused on these four main areas:
* Academics & Student Achievement (link)
* Fine & Applied Arts (link)
* Extracurriculars, Athletics & Physical Education (link)
* Whole Building (safety, security, the physical plant) (link)
More information is available at the "Frequently Asked Questions" file from Feb. 27.
Details on the concepts for the new facilities were provided in our June 3 post. Read it HERE.
2. Include a 30-40 meter pool (larger than a standard 25-yd competition-sized high school pool)
3. Include a larger, 200-meter track to replace the existing track
Important to note: The IMAGINE plans have NOT taken into account any possible update of the 18-week PE swimming requirement at OPRFHS. This requirement is significantly lengthier than what other high schools in the Chicago area require. In addition, unlike other high schools, the current PE swimming requirement at OPRF does not provide an option to "test out" to students who already know how to swim.
It is important to understand that these two points create the argument for a larger pool. This significantly affects the price tag - AND our property taxes.
Please attend on June 19 - and consider making a public comment. Urge the D200 School Board to update its current PE swimming requirement and seek a more equitable pool solution.
In addition to the weak rationale for an overly large pool, the rationale for many of the other suggested facilities improvements do not seem to have been clearly articulated. The presentations at the community meetings on February 27 provided the best summary of the high school's needs and the issues to be resolved by the facilities updates - focused on these four main areas:
* Academics & Student Achievement (link)
* Fine & Applied Arts (link)
* Extracurriculars, Athletics & Physical Education (link)
* Whole Building (safety, security, the physical plant) (link)
More information is available at the "Frequently Asked Questions" file from Feb. 27.
Details on the concepts for the new facilities were provided in our June 3 post. Read it HERE.
