Maine Township High School District 207
Encyclopedia
Maine Township High School District 207 is a school district based in Illinois
.
Composed of Des Plaines
and Park Ridge
as well as portions of Glenview
, Harwood Heights
, Morton Grove
, Niles
, Norridge
, and Norwood Park Township
, the 36 square miles (93.2 km²) district lies 30 minutes from downtown Chicago
. Primarily residential with some light industry, office developments and shopping centers, the district is adjacent to O'Hare International Airport
and lies at the hub of rail and highway transportation (sections of I-90
, I-190
, and I-294 lie within the district boundaries).
Despite being housed in the same building, the district offices have an address of 1131 S. Dee Road, compared to the address for Maine South which is 1111 S. Dee Road.
. This board is the legislative, policy-setting authority of the school district and while the board is the hiring authority and approves all hiring (following recommendations by the Superintendent
or their designee), the board's only direct employee is the Superintendent of Schools. The Superintendent of Schools is the executive
authority of the school district
.
The Board undergoes an annual reorganization each April, where the Board elects a president and vice president from among their number.
In odd-numbered years, the Board elects a president, vice president, and secretary from among its members in the first meeting after the election. These positions are held for a period of one year. In even-numbered years, the election is held at the first meeting in the month of April.
In April, 2009, Eric Leys and Edward Mueller were retained by voters for their positions. Marijo Bustos was not. Member Jeffrey Bergen declined running for his seat again. Eldon Burk and Margaret McGrath were voted to fill the remaining positions on the Board.
During the April 2011 consolidated election, incumbents Joann Braam, Donna Pellar-Ryden, and Sean O'Brien Sullivan were each re-elected, while challengers Eric M. Poders and Marijo Bustos were unsuccessful in their candidacies.
The Superintendent is supported by three assistant superintendents; one in curriculum, one in business, and one in general administration who deals primarily with personnel.
, the rights of schools to act in the place of parents in certain situations. The case involved a Maine South High School student who was suspended for loitering near a gate which gave access to school grounds from a neighborhood area. Students were permitted to use the gate to get to and from school, but were explicitly forbidden to loiter in the area due to complaints from neighbors about property damage and other problematic behavior.
The student and his family sued, citing violations of the First and Fourteenth Amendments
to the United States Constitution
. The District's motion to dismiss the case was granted by the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
. The United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
upheld the dismissal, holding that the school had acted "appropriately".
15 million cut to the district's budget. The cuts included the dismissal of 75 teachers and 62 other staff members. According to district officials, the cause of the financial crisis was due to a "flat Consumer Price Index
" which helps determine property values and the corresponding property taxes from which the school raises a large percentage of its monies. The problem was identified in July 2009 when the projected deficit spending of $3.8 million for the year was found to be $10.3 million; 2.7 times larger than anticipated. At a public meeting that drew more than 3,000 community members, a representative of the teachers' union claimed that the deficit spending was due to a lack of oversight from school officials.
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
.
Composed of Des Plaines
Des Plaines, Illinois
Des Plaines is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It has adopted the official nickname of "City of Destiny." As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 58,720. It is a suburb of Chicago, and is next to O'Hare International Airport...
and Park Ridge
Park Ridge, Illinois
-Climate:-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 37,775 people, 14,219 households, and 10,465 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,374.6 people per square mile . There were 14,646 housing units at an average density of 2,083.8 per square mile...
as well as portions of Glenview
Glenview, Cook County, Illinois
Glenview is a suburban village located approximately north of downtown Chicago in Cook County, Illinois. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 41,847...
, Harwood Heights
Harwood Heights, Illinois
Harwood Heights is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 8,297 at the 2000 census. The current Mayor is Arlene Jezierny...
, Morton Grove
Morton Grove, Illinois
Morton Grove is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 22,451 at the 2000 census.The Village President of Morton Grove since April 27, 2009, is Daniel J...
, Niles
Niles, Illinois
Niles is a village in Maine and Niles Townships, Cook County, Illinois, United States. The 2010 population from the U.S. Census Bureau is 29,803.The current mayor of Niles is Robert M. Callero.-History:Niles was first settled in 1827....
, Norridge
Norridge, Illinois
Norridge is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 14,582 at the 2000 census. The current Mayor of Norridge is Ronald A. Oppedisano.The village is completely surrounded by Chicago and Harwood Heights.-Name origin:...
, and Norwood Park Township
Norwood Park Township, Cook County, Illinois
Norwood Park Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 26,176.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, Norwood Park Township covers an area of .-Cities, towns, villages:...
, the 36 square miles (93.2 km²) district lies 30 minutes from downtown Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. Primarily residential with some light industry, office developments and shopping centers, the district is adjacent to O'Hare International Airport
O'Hare International Airport
Chicago O'Hare International Airport , also known as O'Hare Airport, O'Hare Field, Chicago Airport, Chicago International Airport, or simply O'Hare, is a major airport located in the northwestern-most corner of Chicago, Illinois, United States, northwest of the Chicago Loop...
and lies at the hub of rail and highway transportation (sections of I-90
Interstate 90 in Illinois
In the U.S. state of Illinois, Interstate 90 runs roughly northwest through the northern end of the state, from the Indiana border to Wisconsin. I-90 traverses a variety of settings, from farmland west of the Fox River Valley to medium-density suburban west of O'Hare International Airport, to the...
, I-190
Interstate 190 (Illinois)
Interstate 190 is an intrastate Interstate Highway in the U.S. state of Illinois. I-190 runs west from I-90 to O'Hare International Airport. This is a distance of . Interstate 190 is the westernmost leg of the Kennedy Expressway...
, and I-294 lie within the district boundaries).
Schools
- Maine East High SchoolMaine East High SchoolMaine East High School, or Maine East, and officially Maine Township High School East, is a public four-year high school located at the corner of Dempster Street and Potter Road in Park Ridge, Illinois, a north-west suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States...
- Maine South High SchoolMaine South High SchoolMaine South High School, or MSHS, is a public four-year high school located in Park Ridge, Illinois, a north-west suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is part of Maine Township High School District 207, which also includes Maine East High School and Maine West High School.Maine...
- Maine West High SchoolMaine West High SchoolMaine West High School, or MWHS, is a public four-year high school located in Des Plaines, Illinois, a north-west suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States...
- Maine North High SchoolMaine North High SchoolMaine North High School was a school in unincorporated Maine Township, part of Maine Township High School District 207 which includes Maine East, Maine West, and Maine South High Schools. It closed in 1981....
(1970–1981)
Academies
- Youth Campus
- District 207 also helps administer the Youth Campus; a residential facility for homeless teens as well as teens in various stages of foster care or adoption.
- The Youth Campus traces its origins to 1877, when the facility was located in Evanston and called the Industrial School for Girls. In 1906, a scandal over placement of some girls into poor homes, and the mismanagement of money, caused a change in leadership. After the directors were reorganized, Jane AddamsJane AddamsJane Addams was a pioneer settlement worker, founder of Hull House in Chicago, public philosopher, sociologist, author, and leader in woman suffrage and world peace...
served on the school's board of directors.
- In early 1907, the Board of Directors announced that they planned to leave Evanston and relocate to a new rural location in Park Ridge. With 125 girls and mounting financial difficulties, the school arranged for a charity baseball game that included a semi-professional team run by Cap AnsonCap AnsonAdrian Constantine Anson , nicknamed "Cap" and "Pop", was a National Association and Major League Baseball first baseman...
to be played at West Side ParkWest Side ParkWest Side Park was the name used for two different baseball parks that formerly stood in Chicago, Illinois. They were both home fields of the team now known as the Chicago Cubs of the National League. Both parks witnessed championship baseball...
.
- The facility was relocated to its current Park Ridge location in 1908, and renamed the Park Ridge School for Girls in 1913. When boys were first admitted in 1980, the facility was renamed the Park Ridge Youth Campus, before being simply renamed Youth Campus in the 1990s.
- Several of the buildings were funded by Julius RosenwaldJulius RosenwaldJulius Rosenwald was a U.S. clothier, manufacturer, business executive, and philanthropist. He is best known as a part-owner and leader of Sears, Roebuck and Company, and for the Rosenwald Fund which donated millions to support the education of African American children in the rural South, as well...
, and were designed by Holabird & RocheHolabird & RocheThe architectural firm of Holabird & Root was founded in Chicago in 1880. Over the years, the firm's designs have changed many times — from the Chicago School to Art Deco to Modern Architecture to Sustainable Architecture.-History:...
(the same firm which designed the Chicago Board of Trade BuildingChicago Board of Trade BuildingThe Chicago Board of Trade Building is a skyscraper located in :Chicago, Illinois, United States. It stands at 141 W. Jackson Boulevard at the foot of the LaSalle Street canyon, in the Loop community area in Cook County. Built in 1930 and first designated a Chicago Landmark on May 4, 1977, the...
and Soldier FieldSoldier FieldSoldier Field is located on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, Illinois, United States, in the Near South Side. It is home to the NFL's Chicago Bears...
). Eight of the campus buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places.
- ARC
- District 207 operates an Alternative Resource Center (ARC) in Morton Grove. ARC is an alternative placement for students who have not adjusted socially to a traditional school setting, and require a more structured environment.
Notable alumni
District Headquarters
The district administrative offices were formerly located in a small building at 1171 S. Dee Road; the southwest corner of the property on which Maine South is located. This building was later sold to the Tooling and Manufacturing Association of Chicago. The district offices were then moved into a section of Maine South. This section was refurbished to provide a board room for meetings as well as offices for the superintendent, his assistants, and the business office.Despite being housed in the same building, the district offices have an address of 1131 S. Dee Road, compared to the address for Maine South which is 1111 S. Dee Road.
District Leadership
Maine Township High School District 207 is governed by a seven member board of educationBoard of education
A board of education or a school board or school committee is the title of the board of directors or board of trustees of a school, local school district or higher administrative level....
. This board is the legislative, policy-setting authority of the school district and while the board is the hiring authority and approves all hiring (following recommendations by the Superintendent
Superintendent (education)
In education in the United States, a superintendent is an individual who has executive oversight and administration rights, usually within an educational entity or organization....
or their designee), the board's only direct employee is the Superintendent of Schools. The Superintendent of Schools is the executive
Executive (government)
Executive branch of Government is the part of government that has sole authority and responsibility for the daily administration of the state bureaucracy. The division of power into separate branches of government is central to the idea of the separation of powers.In many countries, the term...
authority of the school district
School district
School districts are a form of special-purpose district which serves to operate the local public primary and secondary schools.-United States:...
.
The Board undergoes an annual reorganization each April, where the Board elects a president and vice president from among their number.
Board of Education
Members of the Board of Education are elected to four year terms, with elections held in the Spring of odd-numbered years. Candidates must be 18 years old, a legal resident of the district for at least one year prior to the election, and must be a registered voter. School trustees and the school treasure for the township are specifically forbidden from running for the Board. Board members cannot have any interest in any contract with the District, and are required to file an Economic Interest Statement each year for verification.In odd-numbered years, the Board elects a president, vice president, and secretary from among its members in the first meeting after the election. These positions are held for a period of one year. In even-numbered years, the election is held at the first meeting in the month of April.
| Position | Board Member | Term Expires |
|---|---|---|
| President | Sean Sullivan | 2015 |
| Vice President | Donna Pellar-Ryden | 2015 |
| Member | Joann Braam | 2015 |
| Member | Eldon Burk | 2013 |
| Member | Eric Leys Eric Leys Eric Scott Leys , is an American politician. He is currently a member of the Board of Education for Maine Township High School District 207 in Cook County, Illinois, since 2001.... |
2013 |
| Member | Margaret McGrath | 2013 |
| Member | Edward Mueller | 2013 |
In April, 2009, Eric Leys and Edward Mueller were retained by voters for their positions. Marijo Bustos was not. Member Jeffrey Bergen declined running for his seat again. Eldon Burk and Margaret McGrath were voted to fill the remaining positions on the Board.
During the April 2011 consolidated election, incumbents Joann Braam, Donna Pellar-Ryden, and Sean O'Brien Sullivan were each re-elected, while challengers Eric M. Poders and Marijo Bustos were unsuccessful in their candidacies.
Superintendent of Schools
The Superintendent of Schools for Maine Township High School District 207 is Dr. Ken Wallace who assumed those duties on July 1, 2009.The Superintendent is supported by three assistant superintendents; one in curriculum, one in business, and one in general administration who deals primarily with personnel.
Wiemerslage vs. Maine Township High School District 207
The district was a defendant in a federal court case, Wiemerslage vs. Maine Township High School District 207, 29 F.3d 1149, which helped reaffirm the doctrine of In loco parentisIn loco parentis
The term in loco parentis, Latin for "in the place of a parent"" refers to the legal responsibility of a person or organization to take on some of the functions and responsibilities of a parent...
, the rights of schools to act in the place of parents in certain situations. The case involved a Maine South High School student who was suspended for loitering near a gate which gave access to school grounds from a neighborhood area. Students were permitted to use the gate to get to and from school, but were explicitly forbidden to loiter in the area due to complaints from neighbors about property damage and other problematic behavior.
The student and his family sued, citing violations of the First and Fourteenth Amendments
Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was adopted on July 9, 1868, as one of the Reconstruction Amendments.Its Citizenship Clause provides a broad definition of citizenship that overruled the Dred Scott v...
to the United States Constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
. The District's motion to dismiss the case was granted by the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
The United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois is the trial-level court with jurisdiction over the northern counties of Illinois....
. The United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the courts in the following districts:* Central District of Illinois* Northern District of Illinois...
upheld the dismissal, holding that the school had acted "appropriately".
2010 budget cuts
The 2009–10 school year saw the need for a $United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
15 million cut to the district's budget. The cuts included the dismissal of 75 teachers and 62 other staff members. According to district officials, the cause of the financial crisis was due to a "flat Consumer Price Index
Consumer price index
A consumer price index measures changes in the price level of consumer goods and services purchased by households. The CPI, in the United States is defined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics as "a measure of the average change over time in the prices paid by urban consumers for a market basket of...
" which helps determine property values and the corresponding property taxes from which the school raises a large percentage of its monies. The problem was identified in July 2009 when the projected deficit spending of $3.8 million for the year was found to be $10.3 million; 2.7 times larger than anticipated. At a public meeting that drew more than 3,000 community members, a representative of the teachers' union claimed that the deficit spending was due to a lack of oversight from school officials.