North Cook News

Republican state House candidate Marilyn Smolenski said a recent Chicago Tribune exposé on sexual abuse within the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) system is saddening and lawmakers should be doing more to ensure the safety of students.

“Over the past month, the Tribune has run heartbreaking stories about the abuse and assault that students face at CPS schools,” Smolenski told the North Cook News. “Rather than providing them with a blank check and walking away, we should be providing oversight and demanding accountability.”

The Park Ridge Republican, vying for the seat held by Rep. Marty Moylan (D-Des Plaines) in the 55th House District, is one of many candidates voicing her displeasure with the CPS revelations.

Illinois State House Rep. Marty Moylan (D-Des Plaines)

Republican lawmakers also expressed dismay during an impromptu Senate Education and House Elementary and Secondary Education Joint Committee on June 20, the Chicago City Wire reported.

Smolenski points to the CPS abuse and recent legislation that she said forces suburban families in districts like hers to send more money to Chicago as proof that money won’t fix the issues, and elected leaders and CPS administration cannot keep students safe.

Smolenski, a board member of the Republican Women of Park Ridge, intends on seeking change once she is elected. 

“I support legislation that measures educational outcomes and invests in programs that work,” Smolenski said. “We should be focused on the results that our schools attain, not the money that goes into them.”

When asked to comment on the General Assembly agreeing to send hundreds of millions of dollars in additional funding but refusing to provide oversight, Smolenski said school funding needs to follow the students and “not prop up poor-performing schools.”

The 55th District covers Chicago, Des Plaines, Park Ridge and Rolling Meadows.