Eight seventh and eighth-graders stepped into the village hall on April 27 and did something most adults never do: they ran a real government meeting.
The students from Wilkins Junior High took on the roles of mayor, trustees, clerk, and attorney at the Justice Village Board meeting — voting on business licenses, approving donations, and fielding questions from residents. A ninth student was unable to attend.
The annual event, organized by Trustee Stan Ogorek, gives students a firsthand look at how village government operates — something Ogorek credits with inspiring his own path to elected office. Teacher Rebecca Johnson said the exercise helps students understand local government’s role in their community, a contrast to the federal government they study in class.
The junior trustees unanimously approved a business license for Fashion Footware, Inc., to operate a warehouse for an e-commerce business at 8721 Industrial Drive. They also approved a home occupation license for Paula’s Puzzles LLC, a publishing business owned by Clerk David Kroll, who puts together word puzzle books on a wide variety of topics. The business operates from 7214 Skyline Drive.
Maya Turza, pinch-hitting for Mayor Krzysztof Wasowicz, read a proclamation recognizing National Police Week. The proclamation included a sobering reminder that more than 24,700 law enforcement officers have died in the line of duty since 1786.
The junior trustees approved a $600 donation to the Southwest Conference of Mayors 2026 annual golf outing to sponsor two holes. They also approved using Amazon points to purchase a gift for the golf outing’s silent auction.
Nayla Herrera, playing the village attorney, updated the board on Quick Trip’s progress toward opening a service station and convenience store in the 8600 block of 79th Street. She also updated the board on talks about the collective bargaining agreement with the police union.
Kaylyn Betz, speaking for Trustee Fran Mills, said vehicle stickers are available for purchase and must be displayed by the end of June. She also announced the village-wide garage sale will be held May 15, 16, and 17, with free permits available at village hall.
The mayor then answered a resident’s questions about ongoing road work on Archer and 79th Street near Interstate 294. Mayor Wasowicz blamed construction companies and IDOT for delays, saying “last summer was completely wasted with inactivity.”
“They should be working on the other side of the street this year,” he said. “Cork Avenue should be paved in the next week or so and reopened to both directions. By the summer, eastbound 79th and east and westbound Archer should be finished.”
If all goes well, the work could be finished by autumn, Wasowicz said.
After the meeting, the mayor presented each student with a framed certificate noting their service on the board as family and friends applauded.
“I’d like to thank everybody, the school, those wonderful young people,” Wasowicz said. “They are very smart and they’re going to go far, God willing.”
After playing Trustee Melanie Kuban, eighth-grader Sofia Ortiz, 14, said the trustees have more duties than she expected. When asked if she might seek office one day, she said yes.
Nayla Herrera, who played the village attorney, said the experience was valuable. “It was nice to do it again,” said Herrera, 13, an eighth-grader who participated last year as well.
The other participants were Filip Gibala as Clerk David Kroll; Jack Obrochta, pinch-hitting for his father, Trustee John Obrochta; Julia Slupek as Trustee Melanie Kuban; and Zamora Johnson as Trustee Gabriel Lopez. Sydney Fristoe, who was slated to play Trustee Jeff Allen, was unable to attend.
Stan Ogorek said the group did a fine job. He credits his own experience as a sixth-grader at Brodnicki Elementary — when he participated in the same exercise — with sparking his interest in local government.
“It definitely exposed me to the village hall,” Ogorek said. “I was never in the village hall before. To get your foot in the door, so to speak.”
He went on to serve on the zoning board and eventually became a trustee, now in his second four-year term.
“I always had my eye on being a trustee,” he said. “When they had zoning board hearings, I’d go. Eventually, I became a trustee.”
Asked if some of the students might follow in his footsteps, Ogorek smiled. “It’s very possible. It happened with me. The sky’s the limit.”