As many of you are aware, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn has proposed forced school consolidation in Illinois that would eliminate nearly 600 Illinois school districts. Under his proposal, elementary and high school districts such as ours would be among the types of districts forced to consolidate.
Currently there are bills under consideration in the Illinois House that would execute Governor Quinn’s plan to implement school consolidation as early as July 1, 2012. Under the Governor’s proposal and companion legislation, such consolidation would take place without local voter approval; and as a result, would essentially eliminate the majority of Illinois school districts and create new districts in their place. The legislation may require that the new districts be organized by: 1) county, 2) drawing new boundaries based on 2010 census data, 3) overall area population, or 4) some other, as now undetermined means. One option, that we have imagined, is to combine the high schools of Libertyville and Vernon Hills with the four elementary feeder districts: Oak Grove 68, Libertyville 70, Rondout 72, and Hawthorne 73, but the state might choose to combine Oak Grove with other districts.
While school consolidation may be necessary in some Illinois communities to ensure financial viability and quality curriculum, instruction, support programs, and extra-curricular opportunities for students; fortunately, the communities in our area do not fall into these categories. Oak Grove receives little state aide relative to the total budget, and based on our local tax base, the generosity of our local stakeholders, and effective financial planning and decision making, the district is in excellent financial condition.
As such, Oak Grove School District 68 sees the concept of forced consolidation as a state versus local control issue. In other words, we believe that the decision to consolidate or not to consolidate should rest in the hands of our local stakeholders and taxpayers and not in the hands of legislators meeting 215 miles away from our district. To that end, over the next few days, we will: 1) develop and disseminate relevant information to educate our stakeholders regarding this important issue, 2) identify key questions that local state representatives, senators, and stakeholders need to consider in assessing and deciding upon consolidation, and 3) facilitate a comprehensive communication effort with our stakeholders to contact Governor Quinn, Senate President Cullerton, House Speaker Madigan and our local state legislators to assure that local voices are heard regarding the issue of school consolidation.
In closing, Oak Grove has a long history of outstanding fiscal responsibility and excellent student achievement. As such, any decision to alter or change the course of our district should be made by our local stakeholders and taxpayers and not by state mandate. Oak Grove School Board of Education
