Eight Seek Terms on District 129 School Board

The Daily Herald asked West Aurora school board candidates to share their views on pertinent issues.

The district includes the west side of Aurora, North Aurora and the Prestbury area in Sugar Grove Township.

Candidates running for the four 4-year terms include:

Ann Bachman-Thomas: 43, of North Aurora, UniServ director for the Illinois Education Association. Was a teacher for 19 years. Has worked on IEA committees and volunteered at schools.

Scott Farnum: 26, of Aurora, enterprise information technology architecture analyst for McDonald’s Corp., Oak Brook. Volunteered for St. Mark Lutheran Church and with West Aurora Distinguished Alumni Association.

Carl Franco: 48, of Aurora, air traffic controller. A board member of the North Aurora Baseball Association and the Blackhawk Sports Boosters. Also coached baseball, soccer and tennis.

Allison Herget: 56, of Aurora, student teacher supervisor for Illinois State University Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures. Board member since 1999. Involved in West Aurora Alumni Association.

Allan Rhea: 61, of Aurora, retired math teacher. Board member since 2003. Served as president of Aurora Education Association- West, commissioner of O’Dell’s Bay Sanitary District No. 2, has volunteered for school-related groups.

Angela Smith: 38, Sugar Grove Township, president of Prestbury Citizens Association Board. Member of PTAs at Fearn Elementary (vice president) and Herget Middle School. Also part of West Aurora Volunteers for Education pro-referendum group.

William Spaeth: 51, of Sugar Grove Township, urban planner for the city of Aurora. Has served on the Aurora Economic Development Commission and various professional and school organizations.

James Toyton: 68, of Aurora, retired teacher, elementary school principal and business owner. Member of Aurora Evening Lions Club and advisory board of the Aurora Area Salvation Army

Q. Why are you running for this office, whether for re-election or election the first time? Is there a particular issue that motivates you, and if so, what is that? What will be your main priority in office?

Bachman-Thomas. This is my first run for public office. I believe with my background and experience in the education field, and my knowledge of how schools work, will make me an informed and valuable asset to the District 129 school board. My main priority is to move forward with improving and updating our schools for the 21st century. Without these improvements our children will have a more difficult time being successful after they graduate from our schools.

Farnum. Being involved in my community is the best way to give back to the great institutions which have molded my character and granted opportunities for success. I am most motivated by technology and the retention of our most dedicated and qualified teachers, both of which have molded my life.

Franco. I strongly believe in community involvement. I have the time and energy to contribute to this position.

Herget. To continue to advocate for the students of West Aurora. To do this, it is essential that the school board, families, staff and community collaborate to make the educational experience for our students one which will bring out the best in them. This collaboration has greatly improved with the arrival of Dr. Rydland in July 2005. It has been encouraging and I would like to continue to be a part of that.

Rhea. School District 129 has been a major part of my life for over 41 years. I have taught mathematics in the district for over 34 years at Jefferson and West High, have been elected president of Aurora Education Association-West three times, have been elected to represent our teachers at the state and at the national level four times, have served as P TA President and Math Contest Team Coach at Nancy Hill School, and finally, I have been a member of the Board of Education for four years. The board needed to be accountable, provide better communication and put children first in our decisions. We have made great strides in these areas over the last two years.

During the next term, many difficult decisions need to be made. One more term would allow me to focus on the Teaching and Learning Initiatives and vision for the district. We need to ensure that the district is on sound financial ground, continue to look at our facilities, but more importantly, we need to provide more educational opportunities for all of our students.

I have always been an independent thinker, willing to research issues and pledge to put children first in my decisions.

With our challenges, it is important we support Dr. Ryland and continue our new vision, build trust, improve our communications with our community and make our students a main priority.

Smith. As a parent of three children in the district, I am concerned with the district’s ability to continue to provide a quality education for all students, at all ability levels and at all schools. The district faces many tough challenges. The operating rate the district is currently under is not sufficient to run the buildings and programs they have, let alone add some of the new initiatives that have been proposed. If voters approve a rate increase, the board will have one of the tools they need to build on a tradition of excellence. Many of the programs for teaching and learning the district has started are a good first step. My main priority would be to work to ensure that we use resources to provide all students with the same opportunities to succeed. Different schools face different challenges and the board needs to help each develop a plan that works for them. I decided to run for the school board because I want to be actively involved in shaping the future of the district rather than sitting back and wondering what is going on.

Spaeth. I have decided to submit my name for consideration on West Aurora’s school board because a number of individuals who thought that I might be helpful on the board approached me about the possibility. I believe that I can bring some level of understanding on development related issues to the board given that I have been involved with these issues within the City of Aurora for the past 20 years. While facilities planning relates directly to this and my background, I believe there are also a number of issues that will need to be addressed in the coming years, such as security within and around our educational facilities. Therefore, I would like to be more involved with the discussions taking place on West Aurora’s facilities management and planning.

Toyton. The education of school-age children must be our highest priority. With 34 years working in public education, I believe my background will give guidance and input to providing the best education possible for those children.

Q. If you are an incumbent, describe your main contributions. Tell us of important initiatives you’ve led. If you are not an incumbent, tell us what contributions you would make.

Bachman-Thomas. I understand and have background and experience in working with school boards as a local teacher leader and now as a staffer for the Illinois Education Association. I also have experience in school finance, and collective bargaining.

Farnum. As a graduate of District 129, I am ready to protect the programs which have treated me well, including the musical arts and gifted student programs. I am also excited about utilizing my expertise and education around technology to further enhance the educational experience for parents, teachers, and students. Lastly, I hope to bring a younger generation viewpoint to the table, and offer distinctive and different perspectives on all of the issues.

Franco. My contribution is my understanding of issues facing the board and my ability to consider the district as a whole when addressing those issues. As a parent of two children who have attended District 129 schools for 15 years, I have a good knowledge of all the grade levels. I would also like to create as much dialogue as possible with the community in order to help the board better represent the community’s wishes and concerns.

Herget. My background as a teacher at both the elementary and secondary level has helped to bring an educational perspective to the board. During my tenure on the board I have served as the chairman of the curriculum and personnel committee, hired our current superintendent, Dr. Rydland, initiated e-mail links for board members on our Web site for better access to the school board by the community, and helped begin a process to update our policy manual.

Rhea. I brought a background in school finance to the Board in 2003. It made me question our district finances. While we were hearing from our former superintendent that District 129″…is a taxpayer’ dream,” I was questioning the practice of issuing tax anticipation warrants. We were borrowing from next year’s money to get through the current year. This is not a sound financial practice.

As a math teacher for 34 years in middle school and high school, and married to an elementary teacher who taught for over 33 years, I feel I have a good insight into not only our history, but, what it would take to make this district better.

An important initiative I was proud to be a part of was hiring Dr. Ryland as our superintendent. His honesty, integrity and vision will make our district one of the best in the state.

Smith. I am volunteering in my kids classrooms on a regular basis. I hear from teachers about what they need to make their classrooms successful. I can see what is and isn’t working in our buildings. As an investment professional for over 10 years, I have an understanding of the importance of solid financial planning. For the past several years with my involvement in both the Fearn PTA and the Prestbury Citizens Association, I have learned the importance of developing community volunteer networks to work together on projects large and small. Ultimately families are the district’s “customer” and I can bring that viewpoint.

Spaeth. The biggest contribution that I believe I can make toward West Aurora School District is to bring my understanding of and experience with development issues. My ability to listen to all sides of an issue and evaluate the pros and cons of each in determining a direction to be taken has served me well in my professional life, and should be very useful as a volunteer on the school board. This will be extremely important given the financial constraints that the board faces, and given the responsibility that the board has in representing the communities views as these issues are evaluated.

Toyton. I have a background in elementary education and administration – 10 years as an elementary teacher and 24 years serving as an elementary administrator in three different schools in School District 129. Again, that background will be valuable as a member of the board of education.

Q. Are you in favor of the April referendum (to increase the operating fund tax rate)? Why or why not?

Bachman-Thomas. I am very much in support of the April referendum. I believe we need to continue to fund and support our local school districts. If a community chooses not to support funding, then I and many others will question if we want to raise our families in such a community.

Farnum. The April referendum will bring District 129 into alignment with many of the local area districts. Aurora is the second-largest city in Illinois, and should be able to show its successes through its schools. I am in favor of the referendum.

Franco. I am in favor of the referendum. There are a number of expenses that our rapidly growing district demands, such as more classroom space, more teachers, and more security measures. In addition, maintenance of our older buildings and transportation system are ongoing concerns. These issues along with providing educational plans for our diverse population create fiscal challenges for our district.

Herget. Yes! The school board is accountable to the public for the results of our schools. We are required on the state and federal level to achieve higher standards and scores with fewer and fewer resources. Until the state changes the way it funds it schools, we are forced to ask the community for those needed dollars.

Rhea. I am in favor of the referendum in April. The last time a similar rate was passed was in 1988. The current costs of educating and providing materials for an additional 5,000 students has put a lot of stress on our budget.

This is a vote for the safety and security of the students of our district. Over the last several years, many programs including field trips, LMC assistance, custodial overtime and other items were cut back. We need to provide for all of our students. We further need to provide for the fundamental needs of the students in all our schools.

Dr. Ryland has spent countless hours seeking input from the community and has given us an idea of what the board needs to do to be better stewards of the district.

I am confident that our promises will be kept, and this referendum will fix the financial foundation for the long term.

Smith. I strongly support the April referendum and I am a member of the steering committee of WAVE (West Aurora Volunteers for Education) that has been formed by citizens to work for its passage. The district has made efforts to cut excess, but that alone will not provide the resources we need to deal with growth and the funding necessary to see our children grow and perform academically. Without the operating rate increase, we will undoubtedly see program cuts, increases in already-high class size, less preventative maintenance and teacher layoffs – all of which will lead to even further problems down the road. The operating rate increase would provide a strong financial foundation for the continued growth and excellence of the district. It would allow for further implementation of teaching and learning plans, technology purchases and program enhancements.

Spaeth. I support the West Aurora School District referendum. My view is that even if an individual has an issue with the level of funding being requested, the response should not be to force the West Aurora School District into a crisis situation, but rather get involved as I am attempting to do and influence how the district will correct it’s financial situation. While not supporting the referendum would certainly send a message to the district, I believe that the only ones that really pay for this choice are the children in the schools and the community at large.

Toyton. Yes, I am in favor of the April 17 referendum. We have built a number of schools in the past 18 years (last time a referendum was approved by the voters) but even with the increased assessed valuation, it has not provided the money to operate those new facilities. The approval of the referendum by the voters will assist in that endeavor.

Q. Are you pleased with the district’s facilities plans? Has the district anticipated growth well so far and are you confident that it has a good handle on what is to come?

Bachman-Thomas. On the whole I agree that the district has handled the growth well. With the addition of new elementary and middle schools over the past few years this has kept class sizes reasonable. I do have concerns that not all of West Aurora’s facilities are equal to each other. I believe children need a comfortable and pleasant learning enviroment to succeed in the classroom.

Farnum. Overall, I am pleased with facilities plans. While the district has previously misjudged the total cost of growth, I feel confident that recent plans and initiatives by Dr. Rydland are putting the district back on the correct path.

Franco. It appears that the district has a good idea of the needs of our facilities. Each facility has long and short term goals. Prioritizing these goals will allow us to address the most urgent needs. Anticipating growth and having the resources to deal with this growth are the real issues. I believe the district and the municipalities need to work towards limiting growth if that growth can’t subsidize itself. The potential reduction of existing resources and programs to pay for future expansion and growth would not be fair to our current residents.

Herget. A very detailed, comprehensive facilities audit was done this year which gives us a framework of what needs to be done on the basis of priorities which we have set. This process has been ongoing. The current and future growth has been closely monitored so there have been no surprises.

Rhea. Overall, I would say “no.” I continue to be concerned with the number of students attending West High. During the last referendum, the community voted for a Freshman Campus on the Jefferson site, and was disappointed that this did not happen. Many other items on the list were not acted on. In addition, desperately needed classroom space in our schools has been leased to Aurora University. More needs to be done to address the increased population of our Freeman and McCleery students who attend the partnership school at AU.

Along with our facilities audit, the board now has the long term enrollment projections to provide us with the direction to make informed decisions. Student safety, maintenance costs of our older buildings, as well as practical Midwestern buildings will be my priority.

Smith. The facilities plan is a good first step at evaluating what is needed for every building in terms of maintenance. The district has facilities which need to be replaced and others which need to be expanded – the operating rate increase can’t address those issues. If the operating rate passes, the district will have to look at whether a bond referendum is also necessary for their long-term space needs. Where we build and what the boundaries are for each school is a very delicate situation. As a parent of children at Fearn, a school just six years old and already overcrowded, I can say without a doubt that the district didn’t do their homework when it came to growth on the west side. It is amazing that the school board saw all the housing going up along Tanner Road and used Fearn’s expansion funds from the 2002 referendum elsewhere. Fearn, Nicholson and Hill all face overcrowding – some of which could have been avoided. It appears that strides have been made in this area and that the school district has consulted with community leaders to have a better handle on what new residential growth is planned. Hopefully this will be taken into consideration when new building or boundary changes need to be made.

Spaeth. The discussion on West Aurora’s facilities plan are still taking place and will be ongoing when this next board begins their work. It really is a discussion that continues to evolve and does not necessarily have an end date because of the nature of the subject. I believe that it is one of the primary responsibilities of the board to monitor and adjust the facilities plan on an ongoing basis. However, this is an area that the district is open to a great deal of criticism. While the general public likes “nice- looking” educational facilities, they also want solid value for their money with long-term structures that will serve the community now and for the next 100 years or more.

Toyton. With the leadership of Dr. Jim Rydland, district superintendent of schools, I feel the district facilities plan is coming into focus which will address the district’s anticipated growth. Specific decisions have not been made. I would like to be a part of that decision-making process using input from the members of the community. Decisions on older buildings currently being used in the district must also be addressed.

Q. Is the district performing well enough academically? What changes do you propose, if any, to the way teachers and administrators do their jobs?

Bachman-Thomas. I believe we cannot measure the academic quality of a school by the mere score of standardized tests. Each community and school are unique, because of the student population they represent. I believe West Aurora does a good job in preparing all of our children for success after graduation. I would support the teachers and administration to work collaboratively with each other to plan for the future and solve current issues.

Farnum. The district has achieved ratings on both of ends of the spectrum of academics. While our scores are not the highest, I am pleased with many of the various academic K-12 programs which blossom at the high school level. Going back to technology, I’d hope that small innovative steps could greatly assist teachers and administrators, increasing productivity and easing resource strain.

Franco. I believe the district is doing well academically. Our test scores compared with other districts or the state average are competitive. Our commitment to our diverse population is more of an indicator of our success. Certainly, our highest-performing students are on par with any school district. Each year we send a number of our graduates to the most prestigious colleges in the country. I don’t believe we need any significant academic changes, just enhancements. We need to continue to ensure that children from all academic levels are provided the challenges and opportunities needed to reach their potential.

Herget. There is always room for improvement. That said, our dedicated and hard-working staff continue to make great strides in student achievement. Would I propose changes to the way teachers and administrators do their jobs? A resounding NO! They do that very effectively on their own.

Rhea. Academically, I believe the district is capable of doing better. Over the years, some programs and support have been removed. All children should be challenged. My hope is that Dr. Ryland’s teaching and learning initiatives will guide us to better serve our students. Our focus will be on higher achievement in all student learning.

The role of the Board of Education is to provide governance. It is my sincere hope that we will soon be in a better financial situation so that we may seriously look at all-day/extended-day kindergarten for all children, a longer school day for elementary and middle school, an additional period at the high school, smaller class sizes and enhancing our gifted program.

Smith. Because of issues with the testing company the state hired, we still don’t know what the most recent “School Report Cards” look like. The 2004-2005 results showed positive trends in many areas. District 129 is a large district and not all schools are where they should be. The priority learning targets which they sent to all parents for each grade level last fall show an effort to try and get everyone headed toward the same goal. I think it important that in addition to establishing goals, you provide teachers with the tools they need to get there. They need to know what to measure and how to measure it. They need to be able to use the PLTs as a framework that they can tailor to their individual classroom’s needs. Teachers have such a short day with our children and so much to accomplish. I would love to see a longer school day, especially in kindergarten. Administrators need to function as a resource for teachers to make their jobs easier. Administrators should concentrate on all the “behind the scenes” issues so that teachers have more classroom time. Teachers need to have a system in place to get the help they need for kids and not just hoops to jump through.

Spaeth. The West Aurora School District has certainly served my family very well academically. Both of my daughters attended school here from kindergarten through graduation from West Aurora High School as did my wife who now works for the district. My daughters have gone on to do very well at the college level, and they both give a great deal of credit for that success to the education and experiences that they received from the West Aurora School District. The role of the board is to make sure that the district remains on the forefront of education by establishing supportive policies and providing proper oversight and follow through. I do not believe the Board should play any kind of major role in the way that individual teachers do their jobs.

Toyton. We must continue to have a competitive salary schedule. We must also give positive feedback to staff members and administrators who are doing their jobs well and are making a positive difference for students at every level of learning. We must also provide in-service activities for ALL STAFF (certified and noncertified personnel) that will make them more effective in their particular position.

(c) 2007 Daily Herald; Arlington Heights, Ill.. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.