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Schools

Five Candidates Vie for Four Seats on District 127's Board of Education this April

Three incumbents and two new candidates for the high school district will compete in the April 5 elections.

Five candidates will vie for four seats on the seven-member District 127 Board of Education this April. The three incumbents are Ann Dingman, Jon Cokefair and Douglas Nerge. The two new candidates are Ken Witkowski and Edwin Brown.

The veterans on the school board agree that the district’s accomplishments with budgeting, staffing and overall growth speak to their successes, while those who seek a position for the first time say they see areas for improvement.

Ann Dingman

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Dingman was appointed to a vacancy on the board in 2004, elected to the board for a four-year term of office in April 2005 and re-elected in April 2009 to a two-year term office. She said that over her time with the board she saw District 127 split from one successful campus into two.

“We now have two four-year schools with excellent facilities and programming and incredible support from and involvement in our surrounding communities,” she said.

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Dingman said that other key accomplishments of the board include financial recognition from the state for the past eight years—a result of sound decisions including balancing budgets and freezing expenditures that have minimal impact on student learning, growth of the Advanced Placement program and the establishment of Student Assistance Programs at both schools; Student Assistance Programs helps students with a number of issues ranging from teen pregnancy to substance abuse, she said.

Dingman said the most important task for the next Board of Education will be leading the district through the current state financial crisis while maintaining high quality programming for all students.

“Undergoing a strategic planning process with broad based community involvement will help determine the direction and focus of District 127. Negotiating a teacher’s contract that is fair to our staff and taxpayers is a priority,” she said.

Only Board of Education members can serve on the Special Education District of Lake County. Dingman has been a governing board member of SEDOL for over three years and a member of the SEDOL Executive Board for the past 15 months.

Jon Cokefair

Cokefair will be running for his second term on the board and said the challenges inspire him to want to continue serving.

“I think I bring a great perspective to the table,” he said. Aside from his participation in the district’s maintenance of a balanced budget, minimization of expenditures and work towards staff retention, he said he places emphasis on promoting a high quality staff. 

“We have a lot of great teachers with great teaching ideals and I think it is important to keep those people,” he said.

He also feels strongly about student safety, he said: “Whether it is in the classroom or in our extracurricular activities our students need to feel safe.”

Should he remain on the board, he said, he would push for more resident involvement.

“People need to come to meetings to understand the process and the decisions we make,” he said. He urges residents, “Don't hide behind nameless blogs. Come be part of our students’ future. Become a part of the solution and not the problem.”

Both new candidates Witkowski and Brown hope to do just that.

Ken Witkowski

Witkowski, a Grayslake resident for 12 years, believes the district has yet to adequately recognize its tax burden on residents.

“Homes are in foreclosure, unemployment is high, and the state has already enacted a massive income tax increase. People are struggling. Now is the time for us to be making the difficult choices that reflect reality.  I'm running because I am willing to make those difficult decisions,” he said.

Witkowski has never held elected office; however, he said his involvement as a taxpayer, voter, board meeting attendee and over 20 years experience in corporate finance prepares him to help direct and manage the district’s future.

“From my professional experience, I am a consensus builder, having to meld diverse opinions and backgrounds into an effective strategy. Every day I manage standards, and goals within budgetary constraints. I understand fully the budgeting process and its complexities within a large and fluid organization,” he said.

Witkowski also said that aside from improving the district’s ranking in the state he is interested in surveying graduates as another measure of the success of the education the district provides.

“I want to know that, say four years down the road, our students have been well served by our system. What did we do well?  Where did we fall short?”

Edwin Brown

Brown, a 22-year resident of Grayslake, said that although there is a lot of data showing how the district prepares students for college, the data surrounding how it prepares those who do not attend is lacking.

“There are many skilled positions that don't require a college degree and pay well.  It is important for the district to prepare students for either path,” he said.

Brown said that as a member of the board he would look forward to financial planning for both the district’s short and long term needs, maximizing the district’s revenue resources effectively to minimize the district’s tax burden and maintaining and enhancing the variety of programs that lead to student success. Although Brown does not have government-elected experience, he said he has been elected to board positions with two organizations with 15 years experience, 12 years of which he served as treasurer.

The April 5, 2011 election’s four seats will be for four-year terms, expiring in April 2015. To be eligible to serve, a school board member must be, on the date of election, a citizen of the United States, at least 18 years old, a registered voter, and a resident of the State of Illinois and the school district for at least one year immediately preceding the election. According to the district, “Elections are nonpartisan and board candidates do not indicate a political party affiliation.”

Douglas Nerge

Douglas Nerge could not be reached for comment despite repeated attempts from Patch by the time of publication of this article.

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