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Parents and board spar over eighth‑grade Washington trip and equity
Summary
Public commenters and several board members raised concerns that a private Washington, D.C. trip serving District 97 students replicated the inequities the board sought to avoid when it stopped endorsing a district D.C. trip; the board asked administrators to study participation barriers and clarify whether the private trip is district‑endorsed.
A controversy over an eighth‑grade trip to Washington, D.C., surfaced at the Oak Park Elementary School District 97 board meeting on March 10 as parents and board members questioned whether recent private trips undercut the district’s equity goals.
At public comment, Bob Picaro urged the board to resume sending eighth‑graders to D.C., saying alternatives like St. Louis or Nashville created “shadow” trips that divide students along economic lines and that returning to D.C. would increase participation. Parent Courtney DePinto told the board she believed a…
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