In what looks to me like a high-stakes game of poker, in February the District 112 School Board voted to close four historic shcools: Green Bay School (currently Pre-K), Ravinia and Lincoln elementary schools, and Elm Place Middle School if their $198 million referendum failed to pass.The referendum was to fund a middle school 'campus' which would trade one-time building-code upgrades for ongoing bussing expense. Voters, unswayed by this blatant threat, rejected the proposal by a stunning 2-to-1 margin in March. [1]
Elm Place opened in 1869, and is now 147 years old. Elm Place School is truly unique today. Its classrooms with skylights and cloakrooms and its full-size auditorium no longer exist in modern schools.There's something to be said for going to school in a well-preserved building that was nearly 100 years old. I moved to Highland Park in sixth grade; I had attended elementary school in a poured concrete building with tile floors and metal-framed windows, a post-WWII product. I was struck by Elm Place's hardwood handrails and paneling, and its photo frame honoring graduates who distinguished themselves in World War II command roles. Even as a youth I was impressed by the library-like hardwood paneling and shelving in Miss White's Literature classroom.
Such an environment demands respect from the students--respect of the facilities and of those who transmit knowledge and wisdom. 99% of our class completed high school and most went on to college. Among us are corporate officers, physicians, attorneys, university professors, and nationally known journalists and authors. I used to take this success for granted, but not since moving to the South in the 1980s.
Educational facilities are not treated with reverence here. Buildings are constructed, then minimally maintained. I watched workers adjust a sticking door at my son's school with a sledge hammer. After 30 years, the deferred maintenance burden is so great that the school is torn down and a new one constructed.
And does this neglect have an effect on students' willingness to learn? Dropout rates are huge, in-school theft is common, and school vandalism is rampant. Graduation rates vary from below 80% to perhaps the middle 90s in our county, home to the state capital and seven colleges and universities.
It is incumbent on us, successful graduates of these revered schools, to preserve them as a monument to future generations of the importance of education. What can you do to help?
1) Sign the petition at change.org.
https://www.change.org/p/north-shore-school-district-112-repeal-bdr3-the-plan-to-close-4-highland-park-illinois-elementary-schools
2) Spread this information to other graduating classes. Let your brothers and sisters and sons and daughters that attended one of these schools know what's at stake.
3) Elm Place, Lincoln School, and Ravinia School are architecturally unique and historic. These schools deserve listing on the National Register of Historic Places in Illinois [2][3]. Form a local group to apply for the listing [4]. Once the listing is accomplished, encourage the School Board to apply for federal or state grants to remedy the safety code deviations. If federal funds are granted then any project must be reviewed by the Illinois Preservation staff 'to ensure that the character of a historic property is maintained during rehabilitation.' [5] This task should be started soon. Get the buildings listed and encourage the school board to apply for rehabilitation grants to cover expenses.
Ye webmaster is too far away to be taken seriously on this project. He encourages locals to take on the paperwork. He will support this effort with whatever web services are needed.
As a member of the class of 1962 who attended Ravinia School, I find this move heartbreakingly short-sighted. I visited Ravinia in 2012 for our 50th reunion, and was proud how well-kept this historic building seemed to be. I've signed the petition and urge others to do so too.
I am a 1963 HPHS graduate who attended Ravinia and then Edgewood. I also moved south and have been dismayed by the complete lack of commitment to education. The success of the schools in Highland Park was determined by the dedication of the parents and community to the excellence of our schools. Sad to see the potential destruction of historic buildings.
