03/07/2008 20:06. Howard brought an advanced certificate in education from the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign to Ridgewood. The board of education, the community and he worked with architect Robert Orput, of Rockford, on the design of Ridgewood's physical plant.

"I'm proud of the way it reflects our architect's views, as well as the thinking of other prominent architects -- Frank LLoyd Wright and more," Howard said. "We planned interrelated indoor and outdoor space, with glass and courtyards. We subdivided spaces and created learning laboratories, seminar rooms with space for a maximum of 15 students, independent study and media space, planning areas and an administrative area.

Howard left... // Norridge Harwood Heights News