School District 62, recently stung by criticisms over how it deals with the public on sensitive issues, has opted for a new approach: inviting residents and other interested parties to sit on a special task force charged with rewriting the district’s community relations agenda.
Applications for the task force–to be composed of 14 to 18 representatives from the schools, businesses, residents and community groups–must be submitted to Supt. Bob Willis by noon Wednesday.
The district was taken to task last year over a $150,000 plan to convert Iroquois Junior High School into a year-round community school serving students in grades K-8 across the district.
Few argued against the plan’s objective, which was to ease overcrowding at several elementary schools. But some derided the board and administration for ignoring the concerns of residents in developing and implementing the plan.