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Track and Fields Project

With nearly 300 student athletes, the girls and boys track teams comprise the high school's largest, most diverse extracurricular activity. Until recently, OPRF did not have a regulation track on campus; instead, it had an agreement with Concordia University Chicago for the teams to use its track in River Forest. The agreement with Concordia concluded with the spring 2023 season, and the high school did not have an option to renew.

In early 2022, the district collaborated with the Park District of Oak Park (PDOP) to develop a plan to renovate most of the high school's athletic fields and create an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) on shared use of the two entities' facilities. The 25-year IGA, approved in September 2022, includes:

  • A 400-meter track on the OPRFHS back field (between the tennis courts and stadium), with a multipurpose turf field in the center
  • A new multi-sport field used by varsity baseball in the spring, on the OPRFHS Lake Street south of the high school
  • Renovated softball fields, at the PDOP's Ridgeland Common on Lake Street

Per the IGA, the OPRFHS physical education and softball programs have an expanded use of the Ridgeland Common field. In exchange, PDOP has access to OPRFHS fields, as detailed in the IGA. This includes access to the high school's new baseball field and the new multipurpose field inside the new track. The improvements to the Ridgeland Common fields were funded by the high school and included the installation of two scoreboards, security cameras, and additional netting, as well as replacement of the current synthetic turf fields, which are at the end of their useful life.

When not in use by the school, the track is available for the community to enjoy every day of the week from 6:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.