OPRF committee holds reflective session on restorative justice, calls for clearer data and communication

The Oak Park–River Forest School District 200 Culture, Climate & Behavior Committee met April 16 in the boardroom at OPRF High School for a reflective “circle” on restorative justice and the district’s Behavioral Education Plan (BEP).

Committee members, students, teachers, parents and community volunteers described the session as a chance to look back at roughly a decade of changes (2015–2025) in how the district handles student behavior and discipline. While speakers offered a range of experiences, the meeting produced three recurring themes: broad support for restorative approaches in the building, a demand for clearer data and public communication, and continuing concern about whether some students are being removed from the school community rather than supported.

The committee convenor framed the discussion as a reflective exercise, noting restorative practice had been a prominent topic in the recent school-board campaign. Several participants said that publicity around the election had heightened public attention but did not change the committee’s immediate charge to…