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Alumni say last-minute background checks, fees and logistics hampered Oak Park fundraising game
Summary
An alumnus told the board that last-minute requirements — handwritten forms, background checks, fingerprinting and unexpected financial obligations — complicated an alumni basketball event held to raise scholarships. Speakers urged clearer online procedures and earlier notice for future events.
An alumnus who spoke during the March 10 Oak Park Board of Education meeting outlined a series of last-minute administrative hurdles that complicated an alumni fundraising basketball game held in early March. The speaker said the event raised funds for scholarships and prom sponsorships but that planning was made difficult by late notices for background checks, handwritten forms and unexpected costs.
"This was approved fall of '20 24 for us to have this alumni game. So on Monday, March 3, we were notified that alumni would need to complete background checks just days before the event approved in fall 20 24," the alumnus said. He described a sequence of requirements that arrived within days of the game: an initial notice about background checks, a request for handwritten forms when many alumni had no access to printers, midweek financial obligations, and an out-of-state fingerprinting requirement.
The alumnus also raised concerns about a celebrity alumnus who was told at the last minute to complete a background check, and said that public-figure privacy and security should be considered when handling such requests. He recommended several changes to make future alumni involvement smoother: an online alumni guidelines resource, 30–60 days advance notice for clearances, streamlined background checks, a dedicated alumni contact at the district, and transparent event cost breakdowns.
Don Summers, who introduced himself earlier in the meeting as the incoming president of the Oak Park Education Association, also commented that alumni participation was ultimately welcomed by school staff once the group arrived. Band director and others thanked alumni for their support. One speaker said the event succeeded in raising scholarship funds but that last-minute hurdles left some alumni wary about future involvement.
The board did not take immediate action on the alumni recommendations during the session. Speakers asked for clearer processes and better coordination so alumni can contribute with fewer logistical barriers.
