Growth Interests Board Candidates for Wauconda’s District 118

The Daily Herald asked candidates to share their views with readers on pertinent issues concerning the school district.

Wauconda Community Unit School District 118 serves all or parts of Wauconda, Island Lake, Lakemoor, Lake Barrington, Port Barrington and Volo, as well as unincorporated areas.

Candidates running for the three 4-year terms are:

John C. Armstrong, 55, Wauconda, high school math teacher in Barrington.

Magdalene O. Liddell, 48, Island Lake, educational consultant in Highland Park.

Michael T. Scheckel, 52, Wauconda, business planning and accounting in Rolling Meadows.

William Skowronnek, 42, Wauconda, regional marketing director in Chicago.

Brian Swanson, 52, Barrington, sales consultant in Mundelein.

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?

Armstrong. I can see real growth in the school district in the past 10 years that I have been on the board. We have been fiscally responsible, planned for the future, improved curriculum and course offerings, and been responsive to concerns from the communities that we serve. We passed a $60 million referendum on the first try at a time when many communities have difficulty on multiple tries. Over the past several years we have become a school board that is trusted by the community. I want to continue to help build CUSD 118 into a first-class school district.

Liddell. I have been a volunteer in our schools for many years. I felt that it was important for me to become further involved by using my strengths as a problem solver on the board. My main priority and what motivates me in education is continuing to improve learning for our administrators, teachers and the children in our district.

Scheckel. There has been significant growth of our community over the last several years and this has put significant pressure on the school system. As a parent of children that attend the Wauconda District 118 schools, I want to become more involved with helping to define who gets what and how much. My main priorities would be to work with the other board members to establish polices that ensure our students are learning and that the organizations that support that mission are effective.

Skowronnek. The Wauconda school district area has significantly grown over the past few years. This is evidenced by the creation of a new middle school and the expansion of Wauconda High School. As a resident of the school district and, more importantly, a father of two children that both will be students with the start of the 2007 school year, I want to ensure that the school district is prepared to meet the needs of all students, teachers and staff. The Wauconda school district prides itself on each of its schools implementing the “first class” program and having ISAT and PSAE test scores above state averages. It is the school board’s responsibility to make certain these great programs continue by giving students, teachers and staff the tools they need to be successful now and in the future.

Swanson. I am running for re-election to continue working toward achieving my goal of making Wauconda School District 118 one of the premier school districts in Lake County. I want to see to completion the school construction projects that were planned and approved during my first term. I want to continue to serve the children of District 118.

Q. For incumbents and nonincumbents: 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.

Armstrong. In the last two years, we have overseen $60 million in renovations and new building. That has been a major undertaking on the part of everybody involved in the school district. We are confident that we will be able to bring it to a successful conclusion in the next few months. We have seen Wauconda High School move to a greater offering of college prep courses and AP courses. As a high school teacher, that is an area that I have been concerned with. Ten years ago, the drop-out rate was a major concern. That has improved dramatically. As president of the school board, I have seen our board work as a team to do what is best for the children and for our communities.

Liddell. After I was appointed in October I had the privilege to be able to attend the annual Illinois Association of School Board Members Conference in the city. I attended all of the trainings for new school board members. I have also visited the open house at the Technology Campus at CLC (College of Lake County). I was able to offer my area of expertise at the parent meeting for the SEDOL (Special Education District of Lake County) take-back program that Jan Morgan conducted this fall.

Scheckel. As a newcomer to the board, I will bring a fresh perspective as well as a financial background that will hopefully allow me to assist the team in making informative decisions for the district.

Skowronnek. As is the case with most parents in the Wauconda school district, my primary concern is my children receiving a good education with caring teachers and administrators in a school district that supports and encourages social and extracurricular programs. However, many parents are working hard to support their families and don’t have the time to take away to participate in school board or PTO (Parent Teacher Organization) activities. Along with my prior experience in government relations and my community volunteerism, I am fortunate enough to have the time and interest in being part of the Wauconda school district board, and, as a result, can represent those parents and families that care about the school district, its students, teachers and staff.

Swanson. During my first term on the District 118 school board, I served on the facilities planning committee, planning improvements to existing schools, and designs for new schools to accommodate the projected growth in the student population. I worked on the referendum committee to successfully pass a $60 million building referendum. I helped to select several properties to purchase for District 118 expansion. I served on the safe routes to school committee and successfully reconfigured the traffic flow for the high school. I participated in the recent teacher contract negotiations, where we achieved a 5-year contract. I worked to hire current Superintendent Dr. Dan Coles. For all four years of my term, I have attended the annual Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB) conventions in Chicago, and represented District 118 as a delegate. I also received the IASB designation as a master school board member.

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