Roadwork unnecessarily disrupting school day

I’m writing as a Christian Liberty Academy teacher and longtime Arlington Heights resident to express deep frustration with the village of Arlington Heights’s road work currently blocking access to the CLA parking lot on Walnut Avenue during school hours.

Closing or severely restricting Walnut Avenue in front of an active school day creates unnecessary congestion, safety risks and confusion for families, staff and students — particularly at drop-off and dismissal. It also signals a disappointing lack of coordination with a school that has consistently tried to be a good neighbor and positive presence in our village.

There are reasonable alternatives. Work immediately adjacent to schools should be scheduled for evenings or weekends — even if it increases costs — so that student safety and school operations are not compromised. At a minimum, clear advance notice and coordinated traffic management with the school should be standard practice.

My family has called Arlington Heights home for decades. My husband has taught at John Hersey High School for 28 years, and our hearts are invested in this community.

We want to see the village model collaboration with all its institutions, public and private. In this case, that means rescheduling the remaining work on Walnut Avenue outside school hours and adopting a policy that prevents similar disruptions at schools in the future.

Arlington Heights can do better — and our students deserve better.

Brandi Pihl

Arlington Heights