In Saturday’s paper, the editors write about how terrible it is that the City of Peoria is ending its involvement with District 150’s crossing guard program, looking at water user fees that would impact the district, and moving toward establishing two new TIFs that would also impact D150. The title and main point of their editorial: “Actions speak louder than words.”

Indeed.

From the same paper, in an article on District 150’s plan to demolish three houses they purchased adjacent to Glen Oak Park:

[District treasurer Guy] Cahill said the district hasn’t abandoned its interest in building a school on that site one day, which is part of the reason why demolition is an appropriate choice.

“We never intended to have those houses there in the long-run anyway. In other words, the homes add no value to that property near or long-term,” Cahill said after the meeting.

Never mind that every neighborhood association came out against the school in the park. Never mind that the Park Board denied a land-sharing agreement that was critical for the school’s plans to locate there. Never mind that the City of Peoria, while not officially voting on it, nevertheless made clear its displeasure and even made overtures to help the district keep the school at the current Glen Oak School site. No, today we read that “the district hasn’t abandoned its interest in building a school on that site one day,” and thus will commence with demolishing the houses already purchased — a few at a time, apparently.

In other words, the school district is collectively giving Peoria the finger.

Hence, I don’t shed one tear over the actions the City has taken to start withdrawing support from District 150. It’s not like the City hasn’t tried to cooperate. In 2006, the City extended to District 150 $311,105 in operating costs, $575,000 in capital costs, and $236,000 in debt service costs — a total of $1,122,105. Did they ever ask anything from District 150 in return for that? Once: they asked that the Woodruff attendance area replacement school be built at the site of the current Glen Oak School building — and even offered to throw in $500,000 more for property acquisition to boot. Response from District 150? The finger.

You know what? Cooperation isn’t cooperation when only one party is doing the cooperating. That’s called exploitation. And that’s what District 150 is doing to the City and the taxpayers.

They need to go. Hinton needs to go. Cahill needs to go. And, frankly, the school board needs to go.

Until people are elected/hired that will truly cooperate (partner, collaborate) with others — such as the City, the taxpayers, the parents and teachers — I don’t think they should get one thin dime from the City.

Furthermore, if things don’t turn around soon, I think the Mayor should appeal to the state for authority to take over the school district just like Mayor Daley did with the Chicago public schools over a decade ago. Peoria’s public school district is getting close to a state takeover anyway — why not keep it local?