Riverside Brookfield High School and Brookfield Zoo Chicago establish new 15-year partnership to create new opportunities for school use on Zoo property
Riverside, IL – Riverside Brookfield High School (RBHS) District 208 and Brookfield Zoo Chicago are pleased to announce a partnership on a facility enhancement project north of the high school. The $3 million, 15-year lease agreement was approved by the Cook County Forest Preserve Board of Commissioners on September 15, 2026. This agreement allows for additional parking in the Zoo’s parking lot adjacent to the ballfield for use during the school year and Zoo events, as well as safety and accessibility improvements. The field will also be transformed into a multi-use field that RBHS will manage for curricular and extracurricular purposes.
The agreement was ultimately enabled by the passing of Illinois Senate Bill 637, due to the Forest Preserves of Cook County’s regulation of Brookfield Zoo Chicago property. The bill now allows the Zoo to sublease its property to nonprofits or government entities, like RBHS.
The partnership is the result of more than 14 years of discussions and collaboration between District 208 and Brookfield Zoo Chicago. It was made possible through the efforts of District 208 Superintendent Dr. Kevin Skinkis, Brookfield Zoo Chicago President and CEO Dr. Mike Adkesson, and Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Jennifer Baader, who worked closely together to move the project forward over the last two years. With the Zoo’s conservation focus, the shared efforts also ensured the natural canopy of trees adjacent to the Zoo’s property and ballfield would stay intact.
The School District and the Zoo would like to thank Senator Mike Porfirio for his leadership in introducing and advancing Senate Bill 637, which helped make this partnership possible. The partners are also grateful to Representative Abdelnasser Rashid and Representative Lisa Hernandez for their support in passing the legislation, along with Cook County Commissioner Frank Aguilar and General Superintendent of the Forest Preserves of Cook County Adam Bianchi for helping move the agreement through the Cook County approval process.
“We're grateful to the local legislators, Zoo staff, forest preserves staff, and our community for their patience throughout this process,” said Dr. Skinkis. “We're eager to get started on a project that will benefit our students and the RB communities for years to come.”
“This effort with Riverside Brookfield High School has been a long time coming, and we’re grateful to the school and the many local officials who helped bring it to fruition,” said Dr. Adkesson. “This agreement gives us another way to be great neighbors, supporting each other’s programs and the work we both do for our community. It’s a win for the school, the Zoo, and the people we serve.”
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Media contacts:
Kiley Fletcher, Community Engagement Coordinator at Riverside Brookfield High School, fletcherk@rbhs208.net
Julianne Olivo, Director of Public Relations at Brookfield Zoo Chicago, julianne.olivo@brookfieldzoo.org
