The founding families of Oak Park were concerned with developing an outstanding educational system.
Oak Park is regarded as having one of the best school systems in Illinois.
The high school was, at one time, among the best in the nation. It consistently competed with New Trier as the best high school in Illinois. In addition, Fenwick, a Catholic high school, has recently been touted in a US News and World Report article as superior. When I attended the high school in the early 1950s it was excellent. There was a clear underclass during my high school days - those who were not in college prep.