W E D N E S D A Y
May 6, 2026 Vol. 46, No. 44
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Celebrating Mother's Day
Special section
of Oak Park and River Forest
Parents argue and D97 agrees, limits needed on screen time
Page 13
Burned-out North Ave. building still standing amid legal delays
Already some shifts on how devices may be used at school By BOB SKOLNIK Contributing Reporter
It wasn’t that long ago that school districts everywhere were bragging about their one-to-one programs, giving every student a computer or tablet or some other kind of digital device. But now many parents, including a lot of parents in Oak Park, are expressing concerns about how much time their kids are looking at screens in school and are calling for the school district to restrict or even eliminate the use of digital devices in schools, especially elementary schools. As of Monday afternoon 1,242, people have signed a Change.org petition calling for Oak Park Elementary District 97 to reevaluate screen time in schools. At the two most recent District 97 school board meetings a number of parents, and a teacher, expressed concerns that kids are staring at screens too much in school while addressing the school board during the public comment period. And it is clear that school officials are listening and beginning to adapt district
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The village filed an ‘emergency motion’ to have the building knocked down days after the fire By BRENDAN HEFFERNAN Staff Reporter
“Kids learn better without devices and as a district we need to reduce our dependence on screens and individual devices
The Oak Park apartment building where a massive fire burned in February is still standing despite the village’s months-long effort to have it knocked down, according to county court records. The fire, one of the biggest seen in Oak Park in recent years, burned out a building that had been the subject of a series of Oak Park fire inspections that found serious code violations resulting in at least $40,000 in stilloutstanding fines, according to recent legal filings. Records related to the village’s in-
See SCREEN TIME on page 19
See BURNED BUILDING on page 16
BOB SKOLNIK
Julian teacher Becky Ward speaks out against proposed changes at middle schools during the April 28 District 97 school board meeting policies. Michael Arensdorff, District 97’s top technology officer, said the district is working to find the right balance and is focused on limiting the use of the devices to educational pursuits.
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