Orland Park and Orland Hills have a combined population of about 41,500 (36,000 and 5,500 respectively), and are located. about 26 miles southwest of downtown Chicago. While both towns are largely residential, the area has several industrial areas and shopping centers, including Orland Square Mall and Orland Town Center. Recreational opportunities include the programs of the Village's Recreation and Parks Department. Orland Hills area schoolchildren attend elementary district 140 schools, while that district, along with districts 135, 118, and 146, serve Orland Park. Teenagers go on to Carl Sandburg High School (district 230). See below for details on schools.

Transportation needs are served by area highways (I-57, I-80, I-294/Tri-State Tollway, I-55/Stevenson Expwy.), and major local roads (143rd. St., 159th. St., 96th. Ave., Harlem Ave.). Commuter service to downtown is provided by Metra's Rock Island Line in Tinley Park. Travel time to the downtown Chicago station is about 45 minutes. Local bus service is available from PACE. The RTA Travel Info. Number is 1-800-972-7000.

City Hall: 708-403-6100 (Orland Park) City Hall: 708-349-6666 (Orland Hills)

NICOR: 708-597-0110 Commonwealth Edison: 1-800-334-7661

Ameritech (Phone): 1-800-942-8163

Public Library: 147th. & South Park. 708-349-8138 (Orland Park)

Fire Dept. For emergencies, 911. Otherwise, 708-349-0074

Police Dept.: 911 for emergencies. Otherwise, 708-349-4111 (Orland Park), 708-349-4434 (Orland Hills)

Litle Company of Mary Hospital: 708-422-6200 Christ Medical Center: 708-425-8000

Palos Community Hospital: 708-460-5300 St. Francis Hospital: 708-597-2000

School System Statistics: See table below.

District-Wide Programs: Extra-Curricular Activities, Sports, Art Instruction, Music Instruction, P.E. Classes, Band, Computer Literacy, Special Education, Gifted Program, Counseling, Tutoring, Foreign Language, Orchestra, Chorus, Hot Lunch Program, English as a Second Language (ESL).

Accreditation: Yes. State Department of Education, Regional Accrediting Agency.

Features: Music Room/Area, Gym(s), Auditorium/Stage, Computer(s)/Computer Lab(s), Swimming Pool, Art Room/Area, Cafeteria, Library, Outdoor Stadium/Arena, Science Labs.

Personnel: Teachers in academic curriculum areas, plus Art, Music, P.E., Guidance, Special Education, Library, Vocational Education, Social Work, Nurse.

Curriculum/Courses: Math, Science, English, Social Studies, Art, Music, P.E., Vocational Education.

Honors/AP Courses: Math, Science, English, Foreign Language, History.

Extras: Hot Lunch, Field Trips, Transportation.

Special Needs: Severely/Profoundly Retarded, Physically Handicapped, Hearing-Impaired, Sight-Impaired, Learning Disabled, Behavior Disordered students. Speech Therapy, Physical Therapy, Tutoring, Counseling, Some services provided through the Southwest Cook County Coop. Association for Special Education and/or the South Metropolitan Association for Low-Incidence Handicapped.

Extracurricular: Sports, Theater/Drama, Orchestra, Band, Chorus, School Clubs.

IGAP Test Scores (Average): See IGAP Scores Table below.

District Schools (Orland Park only):

Carl Sandburg High. 133rd. & LaGrange Rd., Orland Park, IL 60462, 708-361-4600.

All IGAP Test Scores are from the '97/'98 school year.

151st. St. & 94th. Ave.

Orland Park, IL 60462

708-349-5319

School System Statistics: See table below.

District-Wide Programs: Hot Lunch Program, Computer Literacy, Extra-Curricular Activities (Junior High), Counseling, P.E. Classes, Foreign Language (Junior High), Band (Junior High), Art Instruction, Music Instruction, Gifted Program, Sports (Junior High), Special Education, Early Childhood, Preschool Screening, Before/After School Care (through Children's World Learning Centers, at High Point, Centennial, and Prairie Elementary Schools), English as a Second Language (ESL).

Features: Computer(s)/Computer Lab(s), Library, Cafeteria, Music Room/Area, Art Room/Area, Gym(s), Auditorium/Stage, Outdoor Playground (Grades K-5).

Personnel: Teachers in academic curriculum areas, plus Art, Music, P.E., Library, Social Work, Special Education, Gifted/Talented.

Curriculum: Math, Science, Language Arts, Social Studies, Art, Music, P.E., Library, Foreign Language.

Extras: Hot Lunch, Field Trips, Transportation, Before- & After School Care (Grades K-5).

Special Needs: Counseling provided.

Extracurricular: Sports, Band, Chorus, School Clubs.

IGAP Test Scores (Average): See IGAP Scores Tables below.

Orland Junior High. 14855 West Ave., Orland Park, IL 60462, 708-349-5319.

Jerling Junior High. 8851 151st. St., Orland Park, IL 60462, 708-349-5380.

Century Junior High. 10801 W. 159th. St., Orland Park, IL 60462, 708-873-6400.

Centennial Elementary. 1410 Creek Crossing Dr., Orland Park, IL 60462, 708-349-5310.

High Point Elementary. 14825 West Ave., Orland Park, IL 60462, 708-349-5328.

Liberty Elementary. 8801 151st. St., Orland Park, IL 60462, 708-349-5353.

Orland Center Elementary. 151st. St. & 94th. Ave., Orland Park, IL 60462, 708-349-0330.

Orland Park Elementary. 9960 143rd. St., Orland Park, IL 60462, 708-349-5335.

Prairie Elementary. 14200 82nd. Ave., Orland Park, IL 60462, 708-349-5343.

Doctor School. 159th. & 113th. Ct., Orland Park, IL 60462, 708-349-0330.

All IGAP Test Scores are from the '97/'98 school year.

17316 Oak Park Ave.

Tinley Park, IL 60477

708-614-4510

School System Statistics: See table below.

District-Wide Programs: Hot Lunch Program (Junior High, sack lunches for Grade School children), Early Childhood (Special Education), Tutoring, Art Instruction, Music Instruction, P.E. Classes, Extra-Curricular Activities (Junior High), Sports (Junior High), Industrial Arts (Junior High), Home Economics (Junior High), Foreign Language - Spanish or French (Junior High), Counseling, Band (Grades 5-8), Orchestra (Junior High), Chorus (Junior High), PTA, Special Education, Preschool Screening, Foreign Language - French or Spanish (Junior High), Gifted Program, Computer Literacy, English as a Second Language (ESL).

Features: Library, Cafeteria, Music Room/Area, Gym(s), Art Room/Area, Auditorium/Stage, Computer(s)/Computer Lab(s), Outdoor Playground (Grades K-5).

Personnel: Teachers in academic curriculum areas, plus Art, Music, P.E., Library, Special Education, Social Work, Nurse, Guidance, Vocational Education, (Home Economics, Industrial Arts, Career Exploration).

Curriculum: Math, Science, Language Arts, Social Studies, Art, Music, P.E., Library, Foreign Language.

Extras: Hot Lunch, Field Trips, Transportation.

Special Needs: Behavior Disordered, Emotionally Disturbed, Mildly/Moderately Retarded, Physically Handicapped, Hearing-Impaired, Sight-Impaired, Learning Disabled students. Speech Therapy, Counseling, Some services and classes through the Southwest Cook County Coop. for Special Education & the South Metropolitan Association for Low-Incidence Handicapped (SMA) provided.

Extracurricular (Middle School): Sports, Band, School Clubs, Chorus.

IGAP Test Scores (Average): See IGAP Scores Tables below.

District Schools (Orland Park grade schools only):

Central Middle. 17248 67th. Ave., Tinley Park, IL 60477, 708-614-4510.

Kruse Education Center. 7617 Hemlock Dr., Orland Park, IL 60462, 708-614-4530.

All IGAP Test Scores are from the '97/'98 school year.

17100 Ozark, Box 98

Tinley Park, IL 60477

708-532-6462

School System Statistics: See table below.

District-Wide Programs: Hot Lunch Program, P.E. Classes, Special Education, Art Instruction, Music Instruction.

Features: Gym(s), Music Room/Area, Art Room/Area, Library, Auditorium/Stage, Cafeteria, Outdoor Playground (Grades K-5).

Personnel: Teachers in academic curriculum areas, plus P.E., Art, Music, Special Education.

Curriculum: Math, Science, Language Arts, Social Studies, Art, Music, P.E.

Extras: Hot Lunch, Field Trips, Transportation.

IGAP Test Scores (Average): See IGAP Scores Tables below.

District Schools (Orland Park grade schools only):

Virgil I. Grisson Junior High. 17000 80th. Ave., Tinley Park, IL 60477, 708-429-3030.

Prairie View Junior High. 8500 W. 175th. St., Tinley Park, IL 60477, 708-429-3030.

Fernway Park Elementary. 16600 88th. Ave., Orland Park, IL 60462, 708-349-3810.

Editor's Note: Annual tuition quoted in this table is for one child, Full-day Kindergarten (if available)/Grades 1-8 for Elementary Schools and Grades 9-12 for High Schools. For Catholic Schools, annual tuition quoted is for parishioners. For other denominations, annual tuition quoted is for members (whenever there is a difference between member/nonmember tuition). Any school with an asterisk (*) offers before- and/or after-school care. While we make a reasonable effort to maintain accuracy, we don't guarantee that all information is correct.

Editor's Note: Tuition quoted is the weekly rate for full-time care. Codes in parenthesis: I for Infant, T for Toddler, 2 for Age 2, P for Preschool (Ages 2-5 or 3-5), K for Kindergarten, SA for school-age. For part-time preschool programs (2, 3, or 5 mornings or afternoons per week), the tuition quoted is monthly, with 2x, 3x, or 5x in parenthesis to indicate the number of days per week for each program. While we make a reasonable effort to maintain accuracy, we don't guarantee that all information is correct. For any categories that are blank, please call the center for that information.

14560 Ravinia Ave.

Orland Park, IL 60462

708-403-7275

Equipment/Physical Features: Sports Fields, Outdoor Playground(s), Computer(s), Gym(s), Ice Rink(s), Tennis Court(s), Swimming Pool(s), Track.

Parent/Tot & Children's Classes/Leagues/Camps: Music, Reading/Stories, Arts & Crafts, Cooking, Theater, Science, Math, Computers, Fitness, Ballet, Dance, Pom Pon, Gymnastics, Guitar, Keyboard, Etiquette/Manners, Sewing, Cartooning, Basketball, Hockey, Soccer, Karate, Wrestling, Babysitting, Swimming, Tennis, Baseball, Golf.

Adult Classes/Leagues/Activities: Dance, Fitness, Hatha Yoga, Arts & Crafts, Volleyball, Basketball, Street Defense, Financial Planning, Parenting, CPR, Swimming, Tennis.

Senior Adult Classes/Clubs/Services/Programs: Fitness, Dance, Bridge.

Special Needs: Physically Handicapped, Developmentally Delayed, Hearing-Impaired, Sight-Impaired.

Special Services: Adapted Materials, Remedial Help, Adapted Equipment, Orland Park offers several programs geared specifically to individuals with special needs, including Special Olympic programs. Handicapped Accessible Bus Service is available to and from listed programs. Accommodations will also be made whenever possible for special needs individuals to enroll in regular recreation classes.

Other Services: Child Care, Preschool.