[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6199596,"mediaKeyId","3825090-4ded429e5481f7cf80765b5396250ea8","parentId",3825090,"title","Board announces hire of Jen Pester as assistant superintendent for student learning","audioSeconds",46,"startMs",2677025,"endMs",2723454,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3825090-4ded429e5481f7cf80765b5396250ea8&start=2677&end=2723","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3825090-4ded429e5481f7cf80765b5396250ea8/thumbnail_2677025.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6199596/Illinois/Board-announces-hire-of-Jen-Pester-as-assistant-superintendent-for-student-learning","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6199596-b872792168d5b8819fefb6dcc6c69aa0/orig.mp4?Expires=1770447852&Signature=Btc0tSVmKilAmOHm0uIR2sKrXF6tJBKSagabOfyVxo-cF5IK~zO-IdQ81f2Ee3nplj~TTyPc8Egp8c3gPOegjILbbt-5gc19UVRWCJdKta3t7QLjgMjM~vNPvt25Yi4mWYMVe2nxSzzj7sdtmkhSmivJZmIFY~Z9DK1ZNQdw2YEfLu-6bEMB~yNykl~6uFW6ZRd0gkW4sCHqD2gf-81I7fqXlKL4WQSWXJEWZ8hoESD6HZ8M01Dqb~gkcxagCnj47CqC0UU7i7EtXJzHjwepRMOk2jYAsgUsThAZN1HnEDvG0quRwYXbxt7bH594rRIr74sbwoeq4kCZIzwtlBjBpA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Oak Park - River Forest SD 200","date","2025-06-14T14:13:14Z","article","At the June 12 meeting the Oak Park-River Forest School District announced the personnel hire of Jen Pester as the district’s assistant superintendent for student learning. The hire was included in the personnel report that was part of the consent agenda presented to the board.

District officials said Pester most recently worked in Flossmoor and previously served in other Illinois districts, including Naperville and St. Charles. Pester appeared at the meeting and addressed the board and audience, saying she was honored to join the district and looked forward to meeting students and staff.

Board members welcomed Pester to the district. The personnel recommendations — including new hires, retirements, transfers, and summer-school hires — were listed on the consent agenda and approved as part of the consent motion at the meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Regular Board of Education Meeting - June 12, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The board included in its personnel report the hire of Jen Pester as assistant superintendent for student learning; Pester introduced herself and addressed the board and community.","taxTitle","Oak Park - River Forest SD 200, School Boards, Illinois","taxId",38803,"location","Illinois","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6199600,"Board reviews Community Finance Committee ‘Atlas’ and guidance on when to issue debt",362,2777180,3140000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3825090-4ded429e5481f7cf80765b5396250ea8&start=2777&end=3140","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3825090-4ded429e5481f7cf80765b5396250ea8/thumbnail_2777180.jpg","/articles/6199600/Illinois/Board-reviews-Community-Finance-Committee-Atlas-and-guidance-on-when-to-issue-debt","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6199600-bacb081cd13c01b6010a5ccb4e461338/orig.mp4?Expires=1770447852&Signature=JPO1dUwpexsPSWXKh1LZFycTpI5oWTNlm6fBTvCouJshZIvRMWMUz~RK28lLY6kYSf~9CRsMP-eGDe2JSlraXAw0tXqOcnnNP8dc3G7nqfli84Kb2fiCSJWwUAnETXPmY~GK-XdlsWq1ZcQ4~xfsyoseImGpPliQJz6FzQb-e~1xPtr3jVFrTFy~SGZOMii7NZaswoS7BNFR~l9-88482x9Sp~sYBDS~rT9YEdrG5V9Vu8d9O3EXluNPM3IXwcdLO~22KtV37dQd2XKtxxbBH-bqyEk7qflAZuk88n4YwypmEbTnNoVmVdmIWCGmyalAzcpIcJ~5I1IQ2Jhzw0p3Ug__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Oak Park-River Forest District 200 Board of Education received a briefing from the Community Finance Committee (CFC) on a newly drafted fiscal-stewardship section of the board’s “atlas” — a reference document for future boards that outlines best practices for debt issuance, benchmarking, and long-term debt management.

The CFC presenters said the atlas preamble emphasizes the importance of stable resources to support equitable education, that the district’s largest expense category is personnel, and that Illinois reliance on property taxes requires careful stewardship. The CFC described recommended “guidelines and toll gates” — a decision framework that asks objective questions (objectives, timing, instrument type, tax-levy impact) before pursuing debt such as capital building bonds.

Committee members noted the district has historically carried a large fund balance and has used deferred maintenance for much of the campus; the committee recommended evaluating capital bonds as a primary tool for major capital investment while minimizing taxpayer impact and aligning debt with beneficiaries of new infrastructure. The committee described a dashboard of peer-district financial metrics and a plan to publish financial metrics and peer benchmarking on the district website.

Board members praised the work and suggested the framework should be used broadly to normalize cyclical capital planning and to improve public transparency. There was no formal board vote on the atlas at the meeting; the item was presented as a committee report and will inform future budget and financing decisions.

Presenters said the atlas includes a slide-based table of Illinois debt instruments and called attention to slide 35–36 (in the provided materials) that visualize how capital bonds would appear within a total tax levy. The CFC recommended the board adopt a procedural approach that produces routine, transparent evaluations before issuing debt.","The board heard a presentation from the Community Finance Committee on a fiscal-stewardship section of a board atlas, including suggested principles and \"tool gates\" for deciding when to issue debt for capital projects.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6199605,"Board approves conceptual-design authorization for Project 3 after detailed programming review",2678,3261605,5940000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3825090-4ded429e5481f7cf80765b5396250ea8&start=3261&end=5940","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3825090-4ded429e5481f7cf80765b5396250ea8/thumbnail_3261605.jpg","/articles/6199605/Illinois/Board-approves-conceptual-design-authorization-for-Project-3-after-detailed-programming-review","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6199605-d73ca3d691b0198e6736872f10b12ad7/orig.mp4?Expires=1770447852&Signature=FZh4YhW8VWTkkmQ5-WKtYGeLKfDi7fpW4MLDifY25y9ilQgCCIk8KGPm5pWuuE1edPELWk5~EylVXJ~dX-3Dts-WYvSKyK3EJP~wzaTaqwSFKi2EoaQiDZGk~PkR-BRdCWAVp1ozNpIQwpkBylpGpqB28Lzm7jFbP8OpXGdl~idl4aQd8Y~7JTrChyXO8g7QMbiZZaVr9rpLhwx2lzQ1EBOt-WXHznFtDcTG4Hbv6Xfq309HGWq-YIZi~tlACMMqqEcXesGE92MUFpgavMv-MwLAPHZWwJFE4u-NjqkS90Hi20h9~A08e8yR9~uSJMOVu3wszzQUL2SbYO8tY5U31w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","After more than two hours of programming presentations and Q&A, the Oak Park-River Forest District 200 Board of Education authorized a conceptual-design contract for Project 3 and agreed to continued community outreach as the district develops schematic design and cost estimates.

District-appointed planners and architects presented updated programming for Project 3, the next phase of the district’s multi-project master facilities plan produced originally by the Imagine process. Presenters said Project 3 would primarily address performing-arts and physical-education spaces that the team found to be undersized, inaccessible, or unsafe in the current building configuration. Key programming recommendations included larger, accessible band and orchestra rooms; expanded and varied practice spaces; a reconfigured black-box theater with support spaces and storage; multipurpose gym and gymnastics spaces; adaptive-PE space; and consolidated, secure instrument and set storage.

Presenters described Project 3 conceptually as a new multi-story wing in the southwest corner of the campus (adjacent to the stadium), with two- and three-story performance and athletic volumes, basement-level team and storage spaces, and mechanical systems sized to serve the complex. The presentation emphasized that the programming is conceptual, that cost and sequencing will be refined during schematic design, and that Project 3 sequencing is dependent on campus constraints and the district’s larger capital plan.

Board members and attendees pressed staff and the consultants on accessibility, safety, storage for large instruments and props, acoustic separation of rehearsal rooms, and the potential to visit peer facilities as part of community engagement. Presenters described detailed outreach used during programming, including surveys, targeted student and faculty focus groups, tours, and a separate theater consultant assessment. Several board members said more community tours and targeted listening sessions would be scheduled in the fall and during schematic design.

On a motion recorded at the meeting, the board authorized a project-authorization/conceptual-design contract with the district’s design team (FGM/other consultants) to proceed into the concept and schematic-design phase, with community engagement built into the preliminary schedule. The motion was approved by roll-call vote.

District staff said the conceptual-design phase will produce a budget-range estimate, a public engagement schedule, and materials for the board to consider when it determines whether to place a referendum or other funding measure before voters. The board emphasized that design work will include review of alternatives and ongoing cost/value analysis. No final funding decisions for Project 3 were made at the meeting beyond authorization to proceed with design services.","After a lengthy programming presentation and public discussion, the board authorized a conceptual-design contract for Project 3 and directed staff to continue community outreach and schematic design work.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6199610,"Board accepts $1 million donation from Imagine Foundation to reimburse Project 2 expenses",66,2566565,2633000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3825090-4ded429e5481f7cf80765b5396250ea8&start=2566&end=2633","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3825090-4ded429e5481f7cf80765b5396250ea8/thumbnail_2566565.jpg","/articles/6199610/Illinois/Board-accepts-1-million-donation-from-Imagine-Foundation-to-reimburse-Project-2-expenses","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6199610-bfae41d082c70aecfc6439ec8d90f983/orig.mp4?Expires=1770447852&Signature=TUsb4Nth3N67UZGKjk6nQdSuySmLoVnMnTwrBb~U9gzb28QPFQuddDcBKYZB21nH8bs9eVC1L6dvcqYbFudCBbx6lw0jMBYDtgOpxT8EEXA~HUb-ZqPCQ398vIEMCQWw4OxdhnSH9qbd1ygUfBlUcJAkyiSdwt8WMAt8pVom9WviExDu7p~FE8YWLj3KhOTrE1wWIy4rLJ6BeSrLk5ohqTPskqUoSYry7yRocNRGUnTHAZtOwV1mLPjhy1GK5jCxDROWW77KyYmbD1hYsrNb9Ms921SnD7RW3aZs5E1VZsio1O8QaMX9fwACxq5R3PUrBp1y832fTT-tU3oDHWjweQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Oak Park-River Forest District 200 Board of Education voted to accept a $1,000,000 donation from the Imagine Foundation to reimburse expenses tied to Project 2 of the district’s long-range facilities program.

Board members moved and approved the donation during the June 12 board meeting after a short presentation by Imagine Foundation representatives. The foundation representatives described their gift as one of several private donations that, together with a separate state grant the district has secured, will help pay for the new geothermal system and other Project 2 costs.

District staff and board members noted the district has also secured a state capital allocation described in the meeting as a $3,500,000 grant from the state’s Build Illinois funding included in the state budget. Presenters said the state grant would cover a substantial portion of the geothermal system that will provide 100% of heating and cooling for the project. The Imagine Foundation representatives said private donors enabled the $1,000,000 gift.

The motion to accept the donation was made on the record at the meeting and the board called the roll; the item passed by roll-call vote. The board did not attach conditions to the donation during the public motion on the record.

Board President and district staff indicated the donation would be used to reimburse Project 2 expenditures; no additional contractual terms were read into the motion at the meeting. Staff and donors said the district will present additional information and community outreach about Project 2 and the broader capital program as work continues.

The board moved on to other business after the vote. The meeting later included a large discussion of Project 3 programming and a separate motion to authorize a conceptual-design contract (see separate article).","Oak Park-River Forest Board of Education voted to accept a $1,000,000 donation from the Imagine Foundation to reimburse expenses for Project 2. Donors and district leaders described the gift as part of a larger fundraising effort tied to a state capital grant and the district’s geothermal work.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board announces hire of Jen Pester as assistant superintendent for student learning

Board reviews Community Finance Committee ‘Atlas’ and guidance on when to issue debt

Board approves conceptual-design authorization for Project 3 after detailed programming review

Board accepts $1 million donation from Imagine Foundation to reimburse Project 2 expenses