The Bensenville Elementary School District 2 board has jumped into the fray over expansion at O’Hare International Airport.
The board recently voted to place an advisory referendum measure on the ballot asking voters if the governor should allow unrestricted airport expansion, including new runways.
District 2 school officials have complained that increased noise generated from air traffic interrupts class time and robs pupils of their education. Former Supt. Kenneth Kaufman used to call the distraction the “Bensenville pause,” referring to the breaks in teaching that educators take when planes roar overhead.
District 2 also is a member of an intergovernmental group in Bensenville that opposes expansion. But the decision to place a referendum measure on the ballot marks the first time the school district has taken the leading role.
Supt. Donna Joy said board members made their decision because airport expansion is one of the most vital issues facing the community.
“We have, for a long time, had concerns about noise and air pollution, and we put this advisory issue on the ballot because we wanted to give our community a chance to speak,” Joy said.
The decision to call for the non-binding referendum came, in part, at the behest of Bensenville village officials.
“We commend them for stepping forward,” said Village President John Geils, adding that because the school district has larger boundaries than the village, more voters will get the chance to speak. “We wanted to reach as many people as we could.”
A+ honors: Eight DuPage school districts have been named among the top in the state in student achievement by a Kansas City, Mo., company that helps relocate families.
SchoolSearch uses 5th-grade test scores and the high school ACT test to rank the best-performing schools in the state. The company, which has been honoring schools since 1994, provides comparative school district information for families, real estate professionals, corporations and builders.
Sixty-five of Illinois’ 895 school districts received the honor, called the “Bright A+ award.”
Those in DuPage County that made the list: Butler School District 53, Cass School District 63, Wheaton Community Unit School District 200, Gower School District 62, Hinsdale Community Consolidated District 181, Lisle Community Unit School District 202, Maercker School District 60 and Roselle School District 12.
Science education project: North Central College has received a $60,000 grant from the Illinois State Board of Education. The funds are to be used to promote scientific literacy and improve science teaching at middle and secondary schools.
With the grant, the college will offer professional development and support for 20 science teachers over two years.
Teachers wishing to participate should contact Jeanne Slaughter, assistant professor of education, by calling 630-637-5746 by Nov. 1.
Places to be: MacCormac College will inaugurate its new president, Edward J. Kies, Saturday at Oak Meadows banquet facility in Addison.
Kies will be the sixth head of the two-year school. State Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka is the principal speaker. MacCormac College has campuses in Elmhurst and Chicago.
Spaces available: A limited number of spaces still are available at a conference for women at Northern Illinois University on Friday.
The purpose of the fourth annual Conference for Young Women is to discuss career and educational options, focusing particularly on non-traditional fields such as anthropology, biology, chemistry and sports.
The conference, sponsored by the College of Arts and Sciences and the Women’s Studies Program, is geared to high school girls and will run from 8:15 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. in the Holmes Student Center. The fee is $33. For more information or to register, call 800-345-9472.
———-
The education column is scheduled to appear Wednesdays during the school year in TribWest. If you have ideas for the column, please submit them by e-mail to sbanchero @tribune.com or lspencer@tribune.com or by fax to 630-368-4266.
