Bob Skolnik

Oak Park and River Forest High School District 200 School Board members, from left, Fred Arkin, Audrey Williams-Lee, Josh Gertz, and Kathleen Odell, are sworn in during a special meeting May 1 in Oak Park. (Bob Skolnik/Pioneer Press)

Oak Park and River Forest High School board looks forward as departing president looks back

May 7, 2025 at 12:00 p.m.

The rancor of the campaign season was put to bed last week as the Oak Park and River Forest High School District 200 board installed its new board president and...

David Schaafsma's write-in bid for a seat on the Oak Park and River Forest District 200 School Board ended in defeat after election officials posted write-in totals on April 16. (Bob Skolnik/Pioneer Press)

After write-in votes counted, Josh Gertz confirmed on Oak Park and River Forest School Board

April 16, 2025 at 5:32 p.m.

David Schaafsma's write-in campaign for a seat on the Oak Park and River Forest High School Board came up short.

Elsworth Carman has been hired as the new director of the Oak Park Public Library. He previously worked in Oak Park as the library's manager of library services in the early 2010s before eventually becoming director of the Iowa City Public Library. (Oak Park Public Library)

New Oak Park library director eyes ‘healing work’ amid DEI dustup

April 11, 2025 at 11:55 a.m.

New Oak Park Public Library director Elsworth Carman replaces Joslyn Bowling Dixon, who was fired last year amid a DEI policy flap.

Candidates, from left, Colin Bird-Martinez, Annie Wilkinson and Mika Yamamoto, have won seats on the Oak Park Public Library Board, according to unofficial results from the April 1 election. (Bob Skolnik/Pioneer Press)

Four new members win seats on Oak Park Public Library Board

April 10, 2025 at 4:36 p.m.

Longtime Oak Park Public Library Board member Matt Fruth and fellow incumbent Maya Ganguly appeared to lose their reelection bids.

Nate Mellman, center, takes notes during a Dec. 10 hearing in Chicago regarding his nominating petition to be on the April 1 ballot in the race for the Oak Park and River Forest High School District 200 School Board. (Bob Skolnik/Pioneer Press)

Israel-Hamas war tensions surface in Oak Park and River Forest School Board race

April 7, 2025 at 5:01 p.m.

Just before polls closed April 1, a flyer described as antisemitic circulated attacking Jewish candidates Nate Mellman and Josh Gertz.

Oak Park and River Forest High School. (Wes Venteicher/Chicago Tribune)

Fourth seat on Oak Park and River Forest School Board still in play after April 1 election

April 3, 2025 at 4:53 p.m.

The liberal status quo appeared to have scored a victory in the Oak Park and River Forest High School District 200 School Board race.

Incumbent Oak Park Village President Vicki Scaman addresses supporters April 1, at the Carleton Hotel ballroom in Oak Park accompanied by granddaughters Evie, 4, and Lila, 7, after preliminary results indicated she had beat challenger Ravi Parakkat by a large margin in the consolidated election. (Bob Skolnik/Pioneer Press)

Incumbent Vicki Scaman claims victory in contentious Oak Park village president race

April 1, 2025 at 10:19 p.m.

In the Oak Park village president race, incumbent Vicki Scaman claimed victory over challenger Ravi Parakkat.

Eight candidates are running for four seats on the Oak Park Public Library Board in the April 1 election. (Pioneer Press file)

Director’s firing a year ago still resonates in Oak Park Library Board race

March 21, 2025 at 11:29 a.m.

The controversial firing last year of the Oak Park Public Library director is reverberating in this year’s Library Board race.

Divisions clear in heated Oak Park and River Forest School Board race

March 18, 2025 at 12:04 p.m.

There are clear philosophical and ideological distinctions in the heated Oak Park and River Forest High School District 200 School Board race.

Oak Park Village President Vicki Scaman and Village Board member Ravi Parakkat discuss issues at a Feb 24 forum at the main branch of the Oak Park Public Library. (Bob Skolnik/Pioneer Press)

Incumbent Scaman faces challenge from board member Parakkat in Oak Park village president race

March 12, 2025 at 4:56 p.m.

The race for village president in Oak Park is a hotly contested one this year between incumbent Vicki Scaman and Village Board member Ravi Parakkat.

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