What We Do

Welcome to the Oak Park Elementary School District 97 Human Resources Department. We are proud to say that our staff is our greatest resource! District 97 is home to over 740 employees which includes approximately 500 certified teaching staff, 220 support staff, and 29 administrators who are all dedicated to serving our students and their families. In addition to our regular employees, we employ close to another 250 staff who assist as substitutes, lunchroom/playground supervisors, and temporary summer workers, making us one of the largest employers in the area.

The human resources department supports District 97 in the following areas: 

  • Employee benefits
  • Employee contracts
  • Union/association relations
  • Leave management
  • Employee evaluations
  • Licensure
  • Staffing
  • Wellness programming
  • Background checks for volunteers
  • Student registration

Our department is the first point of contact for job applicants, and the starting point for the employment/onboarding process. While school typically starts in August, hiring occurs throughout the school year. Please click on the current vacancies link for a list of open positions. As a District, we strive to recruit, hire and retain highly engaged employees to serve the needs of our students.

We welcome you to contact us with any questions.

*NOTE - Verification of Employment Requests

Verification of employment requests should be faxed to 708-524-3019, attention LaToya Champ. Individuals should include the employee's authorization form providing us with permission to release their information, as well as the VOE form itself.

For more information, please contact LaToya Champ at 708-524-5627 or [email protected].