LM April 2026 - PUBLIC

Dr. Ben Collins Superintendent of Park Ridge CCSD #64

Four months into his superintendency at Park Ridge CCSD #64, Dr. Ben Collins faced a hard truth: he couldn’t accomplish what the Board hired him to do without significant improve ments to aging facilities. “Our options were limited,” Collins said. “To bring students back from out-of-district place ments and provide the programs our families deserve, we needed better spaces.”

Park Ridge CCSD #64 needed over $100 million in improvements: major infrastructure upgrades, expanded learning spaces, and specialized special education facilities. Collins knew passing a referendum of that size would require more than just making the case for better facilities—it would require a compre hensive strategy to build community trust and demonstrate responsive leadership.

26 LM April 2026