To: The Township High School District 113 Board of Education and Administration
Statement of Purpose:
We, the undersigned students, parents, guardians, and community members of District 113, request targeted updates to our current school policies. We believe that fostering student well-being, trust, and a supportive learning environment requires both a more compassionate approach to attendance and the restoration of traditional campus freedoms during unassigned time. Current rigid restrictions have harmed student morale, leading many to feel that the school environment is overly punitive and restrictive. This petition addresses these needs through a two-tiered proposal aimed at restoring a positive, trusting community and campus culture.
Tier 1: Implement a "Parent Discretion" Excused Absence Policy
The current attendance rules place unnecessary strain on families and students navigating personal family matters, personal/private issues, the common cold, or burnout. High academic pressure requires a safety valve rather than strict containment.
- The Proposal: Grant parents and guardians the authority to excuse up to four (4) absences per school year without requiring a medical note or official documentation.
- The Impact: This policy acknowledges that parents are best equipped to judge their child's physical and mental well-being. It shifts the dynamic from one of policing to one of partnership. Providing this flexibility will immediately relieve burnout, boost morale, and show students that their s/e health is valued over rigid tracking.
Tier 2: Re-Open the Coffee Shop and Hallways During Free Periods
Current restrictions heavily limit where students can spend their free periods and which restrooms they can use. Confining students to rigid, over-monitored zones strips away their autonomy and directly contributes to a counterproductive, institutional feeling on campus. High school should be a transitional environment that builds independence, not a lockdown.
- The Proposal: Re-open the school coffee shop and designated hallways to students during their free periods and allow students to choose which bathroom is most comfortable for them to use-
- The Impact: Allowing students access to these spaces promotes a mature campus culture based on mutual respect rather than confinement. It offers students a space to collaborate, eat, or decompress and/or use the restroom that is most comfortable for them. Giving students agency over their free time and personal needs replaces a climate of suspicion with one of responsibility, drastically improving how students view and experience their daily school life.
Closing Appeal:
By enacting these changes, District 113 will demonstrate a commitment to holistic student health, mutual trust, and a vibrant campus culture. We urge the Administration and the Board of Education to review these proposals, dismantle the overly restrictive environment, and work alongside the community to restore student morale and freedoms.
Updates
September 22, 2026
🚨 Meeting at HPHS Entrance H, St. John and Vine🚨 7:00
Board Meeting tonight!!!
September 22, 2026
Show up and speak up to support student and parent autonomy! We need a few parents and a few kids willing to speak up. If you don’t want to speak that’s fine, too! Show up in support of change. We need to show the board and admin we care about these issues with more than just a signature. Reach out to [email protected] for more info. 7:00 1049 Park Ave West across from Target. Grab a friend and grab your kids for a great civics lesson. I promise you it’s not scary ;) just a meeting and support for something that matters.
What's next?
September 9, 2026
📢 Update to Signatories: Our Path to Policy Change In Illinois, school boards govern by creating broad policies, while superintendents implement them through "Administrative Procedures." The current hallway mobility and attendance rules are administrative procedures. However, under District 113 Board Policy 2:20 (Powers and Duties of the Board of Education), the Board of Education has the ultimate legal right and duty to direct the superintendent through policy. This means we are asking the Board to exercise its supervisory authority to order an administrative review. Subject: Update on our District 113 Petition: Next Steps & How We Can Change Policy Thank you for adding your voice to our petition for District 113. Thanks to your support, we have surpassed 500 signatures! We want to share an important update on where our petition stands and how our community delegation can legally change these restrictive attendance and hallway mobility rules. Where It Stands Right Now: An email officially submitting our petition and signatures has been delivered to the Superintendent and the Board of Education. Because these specific hallway and attendance restrictions were put in place by the high school administration rather than a public board vote, they are classified as Administrative Procedures. How We Direct Change (The Policy): Can a community delegation actually change rules made by the administration? Yes. Under District 113 Board Policy 2:20 ("Powers and Duties of the Board of Education"), the Board holds ultimate governing authority over the district. Section 4 of this policy explicitly states that the Board is responsible for "Directing, through policy, the Superintendent, in his or her charge of the District's administration." While the administration drafts daily operational rules, the elected School Board has the clear legal right to override or order a rewrite of any administrative procedure that negatively impacts the student body and one that the community shows a clear opposition to. Our Strategy Moving Forward: Now that the written petition has been submitted, we must show up in person so our requests for change cannot be ignored. We are forming a community delegation to show up in numbers and for some to speak during the Public Comment portion of the next Board of Education meeting. By speaking directly to the Board, we will formally request that they use their authority under Policy 2:20 to direct the administration to adjust the current hallway and attendance protocols. How You Can Help: 1 Join our delegation: We need parents, students, and community members to fill the seats at the next board meeting to show the strength of our 500+ coalition. Please email [email protected] if you'd like to speak at the meeting and we can help you (if you'd like) with comments/a script. Please note in your email whether you are a parent, student, or community member and which policy you'd like to speak about. (NO NEED TO SPEAK-JUST YOUR PRESENCE SPEAKS VOLUMES!) 2 Share the petition: Let’s keep pushing the numbers higher before the meeting date! We will follow up shortly with the exact date, time, and location of the next board meeting. Let’s keep working together to support our students. 3 Join Trust and Transparency at DHS/HPHS on Facebook for additional information Thank you.
Reached 500 supporters
September 7, 2026
🚨Let’s keep going!!! 🚨
September 6, 2026
📢 CAMPAIGN UPDATE: We are formally submitting!Wow—450 signatures and counting! Thank you to every student, parent, and community member who has signed and shared our petition to protect student well-being and restore campus freedoms in District 113.Because of your incredible support, we have officially reached a critical mass. Here is what is happening next: 📬 Formal Submission: This week, we are formally delivering our petition text and the complete list of 450 signers to Superintendent Dr. Holland and the Board of Education. 🗣️ Board Meeting Turnout: We are heading to the next Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, September 22nd at 7:00 p.m. (at the District 113 Administration Building) to speak directly to the Board during public comment. How you can help right now:Save the date! We need as many people as possible to fill the seats in silent solidarity. You don't have to speak—just sitting in the room sends a massive visual message.Keep sharing! Let’s see if we can hit 500 signatures before we walk into that boardroom.Stay tuned for more updates as we get closer to the 22nd. Let's keep the momentum going! 💙 For more information: parents please join https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1HwsuEmmSt/?mibextid=wwXIfr Trust and Transparency in DHS/HPHS
Reached 250 supporters
September 5, 2026
Reached 100 supporters
September 4, 2026
92 Comments
As a Deerfield senior, I feel like we’re being babied, and it’s ridiculous. The bathroom passes are also disgusting and completely unsanitary. We shouldn’t be punished for last year’s seniors’ attendance issues when they don’t even go here anymore.
As a student, I feel trapped in a building for 8 hours after being stripped away of freedoms. Students learn how to navigate their own responsibility during school hours in order to be prepared for college, in which rules like these don’t exist. Students should also not have to show up to school sick and not get proper healthcare because they don’t want their parking spot taken away or to get in trouble. Deerfield has stripped away personal freedom and sanitation, choosing reputation over safety
Our parking shouldn’t be held over our heads. People get sick, have college visits, and other things. The rest of the school doesn’t really get affected by this and just bc the seniors were bad doesn’t mean it should hurt us now.
These new rules are ridiculously punitive and take away autonomy for high school students. Why are they all being punished?
REBEL!!!!!
Agree that the current policy is punitive towards all. Focus on the students and families that have bad attendance. Reward high performing students with privileges during free periods.
Even though I don’t have a free period this year the effects of these new rules still seem overly serious and ineffective as they don’t even try to stop the route of the attendance problem and instead just penalize all students making it a more stressful environment.
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To: The Township High School District 113 Board of Education and Administration
Statement of Purpose:
We, the undersigned students, parents, guardians, and community members of District 113, request targeted updates to our current school policies. We believe that fostering student well-being, trust, and a supportive learning environment requires both a more compassionate approach to attendance and the restoration of traditional campus freedoms during unassigned time. Current rigid restrictions have harmed student morale, leading many to feel that the school environment is overly punitive and restrictive. This petition addresses these needs through a two-tiered proposal aimed at restoring a positive, trusting community and campus culture.
Tier 1: Implement a "Parent Discretion" Excused Absence Policy
The current attendance rules place unnecessary strain on families and students navigating personal family matters, personal/private issues, the common cold, or burnout. High academic pressure requires a safety valve rather than strict containment.
- The Proposal: Grant parents and guardians the authority to excuse up to four (4) absences per school year without requiring a medical note or official documentation.
- The Impact: This policy acknowledges that parents are best equipped to judge their child's physical and mental well-being. It shifts the dynamic from one of policing to one of partnership. Providing this flexibility will immediately relieve burnout, boost morale, and show students that their s/e health is valued over rigid tracking.
Tier 2: Re-Open the Coffee Shop and Hallways During Free Periods
Current restrictions heavily limit where students can spend their free periods and which restrooms they can use. Confining students to rigid, over-monitored zones strips away their autonomy and directly contributes to a counterproductive, institutional feeling on campus. High school should be a transitional environment that builds independence, not a lockdown.
- The Proposal: Re-open the school coffee shop and designated hallways to students during their free periods and allow students to choose which bathroom is most comfortable for them to use-
- The Impact: Allowing students access to these spaces promotes a mature campus culture based on mutual respect rather than confinement. It offers students a space to collaborate, eat, or decompress and/or use the restroom that is most comfortable for them. Giving students agency over their free time and personal needs replaces a climate of suspicion with one of responsibility, drastically improving how students view and experience their daily school life.
Closing Appeal:
By enacting these changes, District 113 will demonstrate a commitment to holistic student health, mutual trust, and a vibrant campus culture. We urge the Administration and the Board of Education to review these proposals, dismantle the overly restrictive environment, and work alongside the community to restore student morale and freedoms.
Updates
September 22, 2026
🚨 Meeting at HPHS Entrance H, St. John and Vine🚨 7:00
Board Meeting tonight!!!
September 22, 2026
Show up and speak up to support student and parent autonomy! We need a few parents and a few kids willing to speak up. If you don’t want to speak that’s fine, too! Show up in support of change. We need to show the board and admin we care about these issues with more than just a signature. Reach out to [email protected] for more info. 7:00 1049 Park Ave West across from Target. Grab a friend and grab your kids for a great civics lesson. I promise you it’s not scary ;) just a meeting and support for something that matters.
What's next?
September 9, 2026
📢 Update to Signatories: Our Path to Policy Change In Illinois, school boards govern by creating broad policies, while superintendents implement them through "Administrative Procedures." The current hallway mobility and attendance rules are administrative procedures. However, under District 113 Board Policy 2:20 (Powers and Duties of the Board of Education), the Board of Education has the ultimate legal right and duty to direct the superintendent through policy. This means we are asking the Board to exercise its supervisory authority to order an administrative review. Subject: Update on our District 113 Petition: Next Steps & How We Can Change Policy Thank you for adding your voice to our petition for District 113. Thanks to your support, we have surpassed 500 signatures! We want to share an important update on where our petition stands and how our community delegation can legally change these restrictive attendance and hallway mobility rules. Where It Stands Right Now: An email officially submitting our petition and signatures has been delivered to the Superintendent and the Board of Education. Because these specific hallway and attendance restrictions were put in place by the high school administration rather than a public board vote, they are classified as Administrative Procedures. How We Direct Change (The Policy): Can a community delegation actually change rules made by the administration? Yes. Under District 113 Board Policy 2:20 ("Powers and Duties of the Board of Education"), the Board holds ultimate governing authority over the district. Section 4 of this policy explicitly states that the Board is responsible for "Directing, through policy, the Superintendent, in his or her charge of the District's administration." While the administration drafts daily operational rules, the elected School Board has the clear legal right to override or order a rewrite of any administrative procedure that negatively impacts the student body and one that the community shows a clear opposition to. Our Strategy Moving Forward: Now that the written petition has been submitted, we must show up in person so our requests for change cannot be ignored. We are forming a community delegation to show up in numbers and for some to speak during the Public Comment portion of the next Board of Education meeting. By speaking directly to the Board, we will formally request that they use their authority under Policy 2:20 to direct the administration to adjust the current hallway and attendance protocols. How You Can Help: 1 Join our delegation: We need parents, students, and community members to fill the seats at the next board meeting to show the strength of our 500+ coalition. Please email [email protected] if you'd like to speak at the meeting and we can help you (if you'd like) with comments/a script. Please note in your email whether you are a parent, student, or community member and which policy you'd like to speak about. (NO NEED TO SPEAK-JUST YOUR PRESENCE SPEAKS VOLUMES!) 2 Share the petition: Let’s keep pushing the numbers higher before the meeting date! We will follow up shortly with the exact date, time, and location of the next board meeting. Let’s keep working together to support our students. 3 Join Trust and Transparency at DHS/HPHS on Facebook for additional information Thank you.
Reached 500 supporters
September 7, 2026
🚨Let’s keep going!!! 🚨
September 6, 2026
📢 CAMPAIGN UPDATE: We are formally submitting!Wow—450 signatures and counting! Thank you to every student, parent, and community member who has signed and shared our petition to protect student well-being and restore campus freedoms in District 113.Because of your incredible support, we have officially reached a critical mass. Here is what is happening next: 📬 Formal Submission: This week, we are formally delivering our petition text and the complete list of 450 signers to Superintendent Dr. Holland and the Board of Education. 🗣️ Board Meeting Turnout: We are heading to the next Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, September 22nd at 7:00 p.m. (at the District 113 Administration Building) to speak directly to the Board during public comment. How you can help right now:Save the date! We need as many people as possible to fill the seats in silent solidarity. You don't have to speak—just sitting in the room sends a massive visual message.Keep sharing! Let’s see if we can hit 500 signatures before we walk into that boardroom.Stay tuned for more updates as we get closer to the 22nd. Let's keep the momentum going! 💙 For more information: parents please join https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1HwsuEmmSt/?mibextid=wwXIfr Trust and Transparency in DHS/HPHS
Reached 250 supporters
September 5, 2026
Reached 100 supporters
September 4, 2026
92 Comments
As a student, I feel trapped and locked into a school that no longer feels like a place where I have freedom. These bathroom passes are spreading sickness and germs everywhere, and no one wants to carry a dirty pass after someone else just used it. This school has some of the best academic performance in the state, yet they still choose to make it feel like a prison. Even Stevenson, which has five times the amount of students as us, has an open campus and free halls. This is stripping freedoms
As a Deerfield senior, I feel like we’re being babied, and it’s ridiculous. The bathroom passes are also disgusting and completely unsanitary. We shouldn’t be punished for last year’s seniors’ attendance issues when they don’t even go here anymore.
As a student, I feel trapped in a building for 8 hours after being stripped away of freedoms. Students learn how to navigate their own responsibility during school hours in order to be prepared for college, in which rules like these don’t exist. Students should also not have to show up to school sick and not get proper healthcare because they don’t want their parking spot taken away or to get in trouble. Deerfield has stripped away personal freedom and sanitation, choosing reputation over safety
Our parking shouldn’t be held over our heads. People get sick, have college visits, and other things. The rest of the school doesn’t really get affected by this and just bc the seniors were bad doesn’t mean it should hurt us now.
These new rules are ridiculously punitive and take away autonomy for high school students. Why are they all being punished?
REBEL!!!!!
Agree that the current policy is punitive towards all. Focus on the students and families that have bad attendance. Reward high performing students with privileges during free periods.
Even though I don’t have a free period this year the effects of these new rules still seem overly serious and ineffective as they don’t even try to stop the route of the attendance problem and instead just penalize all students making it a more stressful environment.
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As a student, I feel trapped and locked into a school that no longer feels like a place where I have freedom. These bathroom passes are spreading sickness and germs everywhere, and no one wants to carry a dirty pass after someone else just used it. This school has some of the best academic performance in the state, yet they still choose to make it feel like a prison. Even Stevenson, which has five times the amount of students as us, has an open campus and free halls. This is stripping freedoms