From the Park District of Highland Park
The Park District of Highland Park announced that effective today, Friday, Nov. 6, 2015, it has terminated its Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with North Shore School District 112 (NSSD 112) regarding the potential transfer of West Ridge Park. This termination arose as a result of the Park District’s serious concerns, both substantive and procedural, with NSSD 112’s plans for West Ridge.
“Our negotiations with the School District to address these concerns have been unfruitful and have reached an impasse,” said Scott Meyers, President of the Board of Commissioners for the Park District of Highland Park. “Accordingly, we are terminating the MOU and discontinuing negotiations.”
The Park District was recently advised by the School District that NSSD 112 does not actually need West Ridge Park for its proposed middle school campus, and that NSSD 112 intends to continue with its project at the Red Oak/Sherwood location even without the contribution of West Ridge Park by the Park District.
“Whether the School District’s plan ultimately succeeds or fails will be decided by the voters,” said Meyers.
The Park District also cited NSSD 112’s refusal to renew a longstanding Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) between the parties unless the Park District agreed to transfer the West Ridge property to the School District.
This pre-existing IGA provides reciprocal, rent-free use of the two governments’ respective facilities. Indeed, for more than three decades, the Park District has been using NSSD 112 facilities for summer camps and athletic programs in exchange for the Park District’s maintaining various school district properties.
“We hope that the termination of the MOU does not result in disruption of the Park District’s summer camps and athletic programs that we currently host at various NSSD 112 facilities,” said Meyers. “NSSD 112 has indicated that if the Park District does not transfer West Ridge, the School District may prevent the 1500+ children who participate in these programs from accessing School District property. We certainly hope that the School District does not follow through with this unfortunate course of action.”