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River Forest Public Schools • District 90
~ Excellence in Education: A Continuing Tradition ~

District Overview
 
 
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The District ---

     River Forest Public School District 90 was founded in 1850. It provides education for grades K-8 through a complex of three school buildings on different sites located within the 2.25 square miles of area that it serves. Present in-district enrollment is 1,361 students.

     The River Forest School District is committed to providing the best possible instructional program for its students. To achieve this objective, the community has allocated significant resources to maintain its high quality staff, facilities and programs. The students served by the school district are enrolled at Lincoln School (K-4), Roosevelt Middle School (5-8), and Willard School (K-4). For the school year ending June 30, 2008, the per pupil operating expenditure was $11,682. The average teaching experience of the 124 certified full time faculty is 11.4 years with 80% of the teachers possessing a master's degree.

     In addition to the wide array of learning opportunities available in the academic program, the schools provide special programs for the academically talented student, as well as the student with special needs. The schools utilize the latest technology to enhance student learning. Special services in the areas of speech, social work, learning disabilities and reading are available in each school. Instruction is provided in instrumental and choral music as well as art, word processing, French, Italian and Spanish. A successful Summer School Program is also provided by the District.
      Strong community support and extensive parental involvement have assisted the schools in achieving their reputation for educational excellence. The academic success of students is demonstrated by the fact that 90-100% of River Forest students meet or exceed the state goals of learning as assessed by the state tests given to students in grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8. Over half of our students are exceeding in one or more content areas.

     Since River Forest students attend Oak Park-River Forest High School, an important priority of the District is to maintain well articulated programs with the High School, as well as with the Oak Park Elementary School District 97 whose students attend the same high school.


The Community to top of page
River Forest Public School District 90 is located in the Village of River Forest in west central Cook County, Illinois approximately ten miles west of downtown Chicago. The Village of Oak Park borders the District on its eastern boundary.
Population:             1970      1980      1990      2000     2004
River Forest......... 13,402    12,392    11,669    11,635   11,597
Oak Park............. 62,511    54,887    53,648    52,524

Residential buildings, churches and educational institutions cover most of the community land. River Forest compares very favorably with Chicago and other western suburbs for median family income and home value.

                                Median Family Income         Median Home Value
                                 1980    1990     2000         1980     1990      2000
Village of River Forest...... $41,108 $62,469 $122,155     $111,600 $258,900  $386,600
City of Chicago..............  21,708   N/A     42,724       47,200   78,700   132,400
Village of Clarendon Hills...  38,476  53,527  103,532       89,300  151,808   307,500
City of Glen Ellyn...........  38,837  51,537   95,332       86,700  161,814   274,800
Village of Hinsdale..........  50,475  61,579  132,993      110,700  286,412   520,100
City of Naperville...........  39,129  60,690  101,590       98,400  185,550   254,200
Village of Oak Park..........  30,175  36,635   81,703       68,000  163,415   231,300
Village of Western Springs...  43,260  62,280  108,870       97,300  198,648   323,900
City of Wheaton..............  35,540  49,986   90,475       81,100  160,179   222,100
Cook County..................  23,081   N/A      N/A         63,000  102,100     N/A 
Chicago SMSA.................  24,539   N/A      N/A         65,800  111,200     N/A 
State of Illinois............  22,748   N/A      N/A         53,900   80,900     N/A 

Incorporated in 1880, the Village of River Forest is a mature, largely single family residential community. Two private institutions of higher learning, Concordia University and Dominican University are located in the community. Triton College, located in nearby River Grove, also serves the community. Oak Park-River Forest High School and two parochial high schools, Fenwick High School and Trinity High School, serve the secondary education needs of the area. Some 25 parks and recreational facilities and 54 churches and synagogues serve the Oak Park-River Forest community.


Elementary Program Initiatives to top of page
Integrated language arts approach
Strong utilization of local assessment plus standardized tests
Emphasis on high expectations which include support for student needs, extra help, enrichment activities and opportunities for grade acceleration as well as subject acceleration
Assessment of Reading Comprehension through Writing
Integration of basic content areas
Integration of direct teaching of thinking skills
"Hands-on" science instruction
Focus on problem-solving in mathematics
Continuous staff development
Emphasis on working with families
Macintosh multimedia computer curriculum with Internet access

Middle School Program Initiatives to top of page

Integrated language arts approach

Authentic testing with reading/writing assessment
Use of writing process approach
Staff training in: Cooperative Learning, Writing process, & Authentic assessment
Interdisciplinary curriculum units
"Hands-on" science curriculum
Peer mentors
Comprehensive health curriculum
Interdisciplinary teams
Macintosh multimedia computer curriculum with Internet access
Homework lab
Special Education Inclusion Initiatives
Comprehensive foreign language program


Summer School Program to top of page

District 90 provides a highly successful fee-based Summer School Program that typically enrolls more than 600 students entering kindergarten through eighth grades. Course offerings may include: arts and crafts, music, drama, science, math and reading enrichment, computers, and a variety of movement classes (e.g. outdoor sports and yoga). Special Education and Early Childhood classes, as well as reading, SLANT and math support classes are offered. Summer school runs five days a week with three one-hour morning class choices, beginning in mid-June and ending in mid-July. Classes are housed at Roosevelt Middle School (Grades 5-8) and either Lincoln or Willard Elementary Schools (Grades K-4).


Accomplishments, Awards & Competitive Grants to top of page 

"Bright A+" Award- 1999 through 2009 - SchoolSearch award for academic excellence, based on student performance on the annual IL School Report Card Data.  Award recepients are among the top 5% of all Illinois school districts.  Only 58 of 868 districts were so recognized in 2009.

"Bright Red Apple" Award -1994 through 2010- Awards given by SchoolSearch, an Illinois-based firm which works with major companies throughout the world by providing school information to their relocating families. The award is based on excellence in five categories: Academic performance, Pupil/Teacher ratio, expenditure per pupil, educational level of teachers and average teacher salary. 

Academic Excellence Award - 2009 Illinois Honor Roll   Recognition given by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and Northern Illinois University (NIU) to schools that have sustained very high academic performance over time. Schools must meet the following criteria:

  • 90 percent of students must have met or exceeded state standards in both reading and mathematics for at least three consecutive years.
  • Schools must have made Adequate Yearly Progress in 2008 and 2009:
    • 70 percent of students met or exceeded standards in both reading and mathematics
    • 95 percent paticipation rate in state assessments for all students in each subgroup; and
    • an attendance rate of at least 90 percent.

Award for Excellence in Financial Reporting 1992-1996, 1998-2008- As announced by the Association of School Business Officials (ASBO) International, the District has received the Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting for its fiscal year ended June 30, 2008.  This represents the District's 16th such award.  The District has also been chosen to be the model for school districts of similar size and share its high-quality Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) on ASBO International's website as a resource for other school business officials to view and examine.  The District's recognition and contribution can be found at http://asbointl.org/index.asp?bid=10379.  The District's 2007 CAFR, the 2008 CAFR, the 2009 CAFR and the 2010 Budget can also be downloaded and viewed via Acrobat Reader using the links at the top of this page. 

 

Budget Implementation Act Requirements to top of page 

The Budget Implementation Act (Public Act 95-707) requires that school districts post all collective bargaining agreements and vendor contracts awarded over $25,000. They are as follows for the current fiscal year:

The Act also requires that school districts, in conjunction with the submission of the Annual Statement of Affairs, post a summary report of all vendor contracts over $25,000 awarded in the previous fiscal year:
                                      · 2008-2009 Summary Report
 
 

Administrators’ Salary Compensation Report to top of page 

Public Act 96-0434 requires that school districts post the Administrators’ Salary Compensation Report on or before October 1st of each year:

 
 

 District Staff List to top of page
 

Hagerman, Thomas

Superintendent

Trahanas, Joanne

Curriculum Director

Cozzi, Anthony

Director of Finance and Facilities

Cunningham, Janet

Assistant to the Superintendent

Hernandez, Lupe

Personnel Secretary

Martin, Kevin

Director of  Technology

Quilter, Claudia

Payroll

Ribaudo, Josephine

Reception/Secretary

Ryan-Toye, Martha

Director of Student Services

Truitt, Sandra Accounts Payable/Spec Ed Clerk
 
Contact any District 90 staff member by email, using the following method:
Last name, first initial @district90.org
For example, Frank Smith's address would be smithf@district90.org