The Oak Park-River Forest District 200 Board of Education voted to accept a $1,000,000 donation from the Imagine Foundation to reimburse expenses tied to Project 2 of the district’s long-range facilities program.

Board members moved and approved the donation during the June 12 board meeting after a short presentation by Imagine Foundation representatives. The foundation representatives described their gift as one of several private donations that, together with a separate state grant the district has secured, will help pay for the new geothermal system and other Project 2 costs.

District staff and board members noted the district has also secured a state capital allocation described in the meeting as a $3,500,000 grant from the state’s Build Illinois funding included in the state budget. Presenters said the state grant would cover a substantial portion of the geothermal system that will provide 100% of heating and cooling for the project. The Imagine Foundation representatives said private donors enabled the $1,000,000 gift.

The motion to accept the donation was made on the record at the meeting and the board called the roll; the item passed by roll-call vote. The board did not attach conditions to the donation during the public motion on the record.

Board President and district staff indicated the donation would be used to reimburse Project 2 expenditures; no additional contractual terms were read into the motion at the meeting. Staff and donors said the district will present additional information and community outreach about Project 2 and the broader capital program as work continues.

The board moved on to other business after the vote. The meeting later included a large discussion of Project 3 programming and a separate motion to authorize a conceptual-design contract (see separate article).