Sometimes we’re wrong.
In the late winter after a community meeting convened by District 209’s architectural advisors included discussion of closing the district’s Forest Park high school and merging the Proviso Math and Science Academy into the district’s other two campuses, we leapt at the suggestion.
We know why we did it. The Review was never a fan of skimming the top students at D209 and segregating them into one separate facility, even if it was in Forest Park. In our opinion, especially at the time it happened, it was another nail in the coffin of venerable Proviso East.
Well, the creation of PMSA certainly didn’t do East or West any favors. Those schools, in the hands of a politically charged school board and saddled with wildly unstable educational leadership, continued to seek the bottom among all Illinois high schools.
That was then. And our earlier editorial position was stuck in that place, based on those biases. But the new Proviso reality, one we’ve championed for three years, is that a politics-free board and a dynamic leadership team at the district and at East have resurrected the possibility that Proviso East can be salvaged.
Now the school board and its architects have taken the closure of PMSA in Forest Park off the table. Instead, in a certifiable challenge, the architects are working on multi-phase plans to physically improve all three campuses. That’s the right choice and we look forward to hearing the details by this fall.
Time for a vote
In the days ahead, Forest Park’s electoral board will reconvene and certify wording on a ballot question for November related to video gaming in town — that according to Thomas Bastian, attorney for the village government.
It is acknowledgement that time has run out on any possible legal maneuvers or appeals that would again block citizen petitions demanding a binding vote on the controversial issue.
Way too late, this is the right outcome. Time for a spirited and civil debate by opponents of gaming and proponents, mainly local bar owners.
Things we like
Here are a few of our current Forest Park favorites:
Our ever-scrappy local historical society mounted its first House and Garden Walk last weekend. With more than a hundred souls on the tour, this was a happy and auspicious launch. Seven homes were on the tour.
The society pledges this will become an annual event. We’re all in for a celebration of Forest Park’s wonderfully diverse housing stock.
What we won’t do to be on TV! More than 50 locals turned out at the park Friday morning at 7 a.m. to wave at WGN TV’s helicopter. It was part of a push to promote this weekend’s fabulous softball tourney.
Which brings us to the 50th Anniversary No Gloves Invitational. This weekend. Nothing better.
