| The Sun-Times Serving Williamsville and Sherman |
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First of two school board forums held at SES
By Byron Painter
Editor
The first of two Williamsville school board forums Monday night touched on several topics.
Six of the seven candidates were in attendance (Jack Caldwell, Bill Choat, Steve Griffin, Eric Long, Deanna
Mool and Regina Rump), with candidate Scott Stuewe absent for family reasons. Stuewe had a statement
read on his behalf after the other six candidates were given time to provide some background information about
themselves.
Caldwell and Stuewe are incumbents in Williams Township and are being challenged by Rump and Griffin;
two of the four will be elected.
In Fancy Creek Township, there is one slot open, and Choat, Long and Mool are the candidates.
There is not a candidate for the ‘outlying’ areas of the district at this point for the April 7 election.
As noted, all six candidates had a few minutes to provide some background information, much of which is
also in their election questionnaires completed for the Sun-Times and located elsewhere in this issue (more of
the personal information can be found there).
The forum was sponsored by the Williamsville Education Association and the Sherman PTO.
Caldwell said he ran in 2005 because he knew there were several important positions to be filled, including
superintendent and two of the principalships.
He said that, when Superintendent Dave Root (the subject of numerous kudos throughout the 135-minute
affair) took over in July 2007, it did not take long for he and the other board members to realize the “tremendous
dangerous trend” of the financial situation.
Caldwell said he is running for re-election because “I want to see this district excel for our children” and
because “I bring common sense and experience to the board.”
Long was next; his background in law and financial investigations is well-suited for the board, he argued.
He wants to identify the mistakes of the past and make sure that they are not repeated; he also wants to
restore the services that have been cut in recent years without additional fees, though the district has made
“great strides” financially since Root took over.
Rump was the next to introduce herself; the parent of two daughters in the district, she has attended many of
the school board meetings in the last year.
She said there are many opportunities for the school district to shave costs, including more online activities
(like putting registration forms online to save paper, postage and man-hours).
A former substitute teacher, Rump asserted that “everyone here believes this is a good school district” with
“exceptional teachers and parents.”
Mool, the mother of three daughters in the district, said her family moved to Sherman for the school district.
A lobbyist and former general counsel for the Department of Public Health, Mool said she has background in
budget issues and also is a “quick study.”
Choat, who has a doctoral degree in educational technology and secondary education, is employed by District
186 in budget and data processing; he has worked in the Department of Corrections school district and also is
certified to teach K-12 music in Missouri.
Like the others, he is “very impressed” with the school district, and he wants to help the community by being
on the board.
Griffin was the last of the six candidates to introduce himself; a fire alarm repairman, he has worked with
many school districts over the last two decades.
“It might not sound like much, but every school district has to have a fire alarm,” he said.
His late father-in-law encouraged him to run in the past, and while Griffin originally dismissed that, he said he
has the time to devote to being a board member now.
“A school district like this just does not happen,” he said. “It is time for me to offer” something back to the
community.
WEA member Stacie Henderson read Stuewe’s statement; he wants to continue on the board because he
wants to try to maintain the positive relationship with teachers and also the open communication with the public,
along with the continued improvement of the district’s financial situation.
“We are well on our way to getting that (the budget in order) done,” said Stuewe in his prepared remarks.
The first question posed to the candidates was what they thought was the biggest issue facing the school
district right now, and the financial situation took center stage.
Long was first and once again emphasized his fiscal background and is “precisely” the reason he is running.
Rump echoed Long’s remarks, also discussing the cost savings of the Federal School Lunch program that
Williamsville is now in.
Mool discussed general state aid and the slow economy, and even though there are subdivisions planned,
the district “cannot rely solely on that growth.”
Sherman has one of the higher per capita incomes in the county, she continued, but it is “shameful” that the
district is on a financial watch list.
Her first goal is to build reserves and get the school district off the watch list, all while not raising taxes, which
she called a “last resort.”
Choat discussed how many people were not fully aware of how bad the numbers were, crediting Root for that
change.
Griffin relayed a story that his wife shared with him after she was out campaigning for him; one person
complained that “no one was talking about the kids” and instead were emphasizing the financial situation.
“But the financial situation has impacted the children,” Griffin argued.
The Illinois State Board of Education rates schools every year on a financial basis, and the average profile for
Williamsville schools has been last in the county for the last several years.
“This problem may have been discovered overnight, but it did not happen overnight,” he said. “It is okay to vote
for some new eyes” in this situation.
Caldwell emphasized Root and the current board’s work in stemming the financial tide; in 2003, the district
was in the hole almost $200,000, but if all goes well, by the end of 2009, the balances could be in the $3 million
range.
The next question, posted by the WEA, was if there was one change/addition that could be implemented or
put into place, what would it be?
Rump said that the board needs to continue to find ways to cut costs without cutting programs or education;
she once again returned to the online registration form idea as one solution.
Mool wondered about more technology, like what District 186 does with middle schoolers and laptops; in her
legal career, she is often forced to use online research to conduct her work.
She also questioned how the exit of Rochester and Chatham from SASED would affect Williamsville
financially.
Choat, quite familiar with the District 186 laptop program, said he would love to see something like that in
Williamsville.
Griffin took a different tack, saying that more foreign language classes should be offered, in the lower levels
especially.
“Spanish is our country’s second language,” he said. “I do not think we can forget to strengthen our foreign
language programs.”
Caldwell discussed reducing teacher-student ratios and also the enormous energy bills the district faces;
last month, the bill was in the $45,000 range.
The more money that is spent on energy costs, the less that can be spent in children, he commented.
Reiterating Caldwell and Griffin, Long also took a law enforcement tack, because many Williamsville students
might not face some of the tougher issues once they go to college or enter the workforce.
Long wondered if more money could go to a “Weed-and-Seed program” which is used to combat gang and
drug problems, because they will see these things outside of Williamsville while seeing the relationship
between law enforcement and crime prevention, or Teen Court, the highly successful local program, wondering
if the program could actually be at the school.
The next question, from the PTO, asked each candidate what strengths they would bring to the board.
Mool was first, and she highlighted her teaching and state government experience, including contract
negotiations and personnel issues.
“I am a mom, and I care about my kids, but I also care about your kids,” she said.
Choat emphasized his school district experience and technology background.
Caldwell talked about his time on the board, including passing referenda.
“I have been through about every aspect of what a school board can do,” he said. “You can do without one of
us, but the core of the school is the teachers.”
Griffin, who has never run for public office, said, quite simply, “I have time,” noting his job rarely requires travel
out of the area.
“I can bring curiosity,” he continued, saying he would rather have eight bad ideas and two good ones instead
of no ideas at all, and he also discussed his energy management background.
Long, a former coach during his law school days, besides his financial investigation background mentioned
the recent resignation of Dave Urish as girls basketball coach, saying that athletics are more than wins and
losses but also about leadership and sportsmanship.
Rump was the last one to speak on the topic, and she reiterated her substitute teaching experience and her
consistent board meeting attendance.
The first question after a short break dealt with the arts and how the candidates perceived it (as a vital part of
the curriculum, for example, or more supplemental), as well as if the candidate would support the construction of
a new Fine Arts Center (FAC) more along the lines of what Riverton has (to replace the old gym, which now
serves as the Fine Arts Center).
Choat said music “was his life” away from his job, complimenting how teacher Kristy Cole worked with his
daughter and also complimenting the excellent music program as a whole.
Regarding a FAC, his simple answer was yes, though he “doubted” it would be at the top of a list.
Griffin said if the community supported it, he would too, adding that his construction background would be
helpful.
Almost everyone in the room would support such a project, though he said was smart enough to “not commit
to a huge construction project.”
Caldwell said building a FAC was discussed a few years ago, though he also discussed how some of the art,
even outside the cafeteria where he was talking, was “very powerful” and how it started at the younger ages.
“We would certainly do it” if the support was there.
Long was reticent to speculate, because he is not sure of the finances, but he more than once complimented
the current program.
He compared arts to athletics, and “we have a very specific mission, and that is to develop every kid to their
potential.”
Some students may be geared to engineering or athletics, but for some students, it is art, and “we need to
make sure we offer sufficient facilities and supplies” so they can achieve their potential.
“The art program has to be a core program,” he concluded.
Rump, whose daughters both are active in the fine arts program, said a new FAC would depend on costs and
“we have to depend on what we have” right now.
Mool started out as a voice major, and she said no one wants to pick between arts and sports, for example.
She is jealous of Riverton’s facility, especially considering the poor acoustics of the Williamsville FAC (but the
history of the old gym was wanted to be preserved, which she understood).
The next question asked how the candidates saw a school board, one of management or one of governance.
The general consensus of the candidates was that the board was more of governance; deferring to the
superintendent, whom Caldwell called the CEO of the district.
“Management really is the area of the superintendent and the principals,” argued Griffin. “The role of the board
is to be the voice of the community.”
Long said the roles of the board and teachers and community are interrelated, though the board’s main job is
governance and to set policy, because “administrators manage and teachers teach.”
Rump said the board’s job is to hire a competent person as superintendent (and have that person hire from
there) and then govern and set policy.
For Mool, the superintendent should take care of the day-to-day operations, though she disagreed that
teachers just teach, saying that constant communication is a must and trust that all people are working the
same goal.
Choat basically reiterated what the other candidates said.
The next question dealt with if Williamsville would ever consider a year-round, or balanced, calendar like what
Riverton has.
The general consensus was not favorable to the balanced calendar, be it for financial reasons (especially air
conditioning during the late July and early August school days) or adjusting the summer schedules.
The last question of the evening was one that the candidates mostly deflected, politely: what would be on the
cutting block if Root told the board that more needed to be cut. None of them would relish doing so, they argued,
and they would do everything in their power to preserve programs.
With many of the candidates not entirely privy to all financial information, they argued it would be tough to
come out and make a statement on what they would cut.
Long noted it would depend on the size of the shortfall, for example; a $100,000 deficit would be a lot easier
than a $5 million deficit.
Griffin noted that he would not be afraid to make those decisions, saying he had to do it as part of his duties
on his church board.
There will be another forum March 31 at the Williamsville Community Center; the Williamsville Mayoral
Candidates and the Williamsville Village Board candidates are also to be in attendance.
By Byron Painter
Editor
The first of two Williamsville school board forums Monday night touched on several topics.
Six of the seven candidates were in attendance (Jack Caldwell, Bill Choat, Steve Griffin, Eric Long, Deanna
Mool and Regina Rump), with candidate Scott Stuewe absent for family reasons. Stuewe had a statement
read on his behalf after the other six candidates were given time to provide some background information about
themselves.
Caldwell and Stuewe are incumbents in Williams Township and are being challenged by Rump and Griffin;
two of the four will be elected.
In Fancy Creek Township, there is one slot open, and Choat, Long and Mool are the candidates.
There is not a candidate for the ‘outlying’ areas of the district at this point for the April 7 election.
As noted, all six candidates had a few minutes to provide some background information, much of which is
also in their election questionnaires completed for the Sun-Times and located elsewhere in this issue (more of
the personal information can be found there).
The forum was sponsored by the Williamsville Education Association and the Sherman PTO.
Caldwell said he ran in 2005 because he knew there were several important positions to be filled, including
superintendent and two of the principalships.
He said that, when Superintendent Dave Root (the subject of numerous kudos throughout the 135-minute
affair) took over in July 2007, it did not take long for he and the other board members to realize the “tremendous
dangerous trend” of the financial situation.
Caldwell said he is running for re-election because “I want to see this district excel for our children” and
because “I bring common sense and experience to the board.”
Long was next; his background in law and financial investigations is well-suited for the board, he argued.
He wants to identify the mistakes of the past and make sure that they are not repeated; he also wants to
restore the services that have been cut in recent years without additional fees, though the district has made
“great strides” financially since Root took over.
Rump was the next to introduce herself; the parent of two daughters in the district, she has attended many of
the school board meetings in the last year.
She said there are many opportunities for the school district to shave costs, including more online activities
(like putting registration forms online to save paper, postage and man-hours).
A former substitute teacher, Rump asserted that “everyone here believes this is a good school district” with
“exceptional teachers and parents.”
Mool, the mother of three daughters in the district, said her family moved to Sherman for the school district.
A lobbyist and former general counsel for the Department of Public Health, Mool said she has background in
budget issues and also is a “quick study.”
Choat, who has a doctoral degree in educational technology and secondary education, is employed by District
186 in budget and data processing; he has worked in the Department of Corrections school district and also is
certified to teach K-12 music in Missouri.
Like the others, he is “very impressed” with the school district, and he wants to help the community by being
on the board.
Griffin was the last of the six candidates to introduce himself; a fire alarm repairman, he has worked with
many school districts over the last two decades.
“It might not sound like much, but every school district has to have a fire alarm,” he said.
His late father-in-law encouraged him to run in the past, and while Griffin originally dismissed that, he said he
has the time to devote to being a board member now.
“A school district like this just does not happen,” he said. “It is time for me to offer” something back to the
community.
WEA member Stacie Henderson read Stuewe’s statement; he wants to continue on the board because he
wants to try to maintain the positive relationship with teachers and also the open communication with the public,
along with the continued improvement of the district’s financial situation.
“We are well on our way to getting that (the budget in order) done,” said Stuewe in his prepared remarks.
The first question posed to the candidates was what they thought was the biggest issue facing the school
district right now, and the financial situation took center stage.
Long was first and once again emphasized his fiscal background and is “precisely” the reason he is running.
Rump echoed Long’s remarks, also discussing the cost savings of the Federal School Lunch program that
Williamsville is now in.
Mool discussed general state aid and the slow economy, and even though there are subdivisions planned,
the district “cannot rely solely on that growth.”
Sherman has one of the higher per capita incomes in the county, she continued, but it is “shameful” that the
district is on a financial watch list.
Her first goal is to build reserves and get the school district off the watch list, all while not raising taxes, which
she called a “last resort.”
Choat discussed how many people were not fully aware of how bad the numbers were, crediting Root for that
change.
Griffin relayed a story that his wife shared with him after she was out campaigning for him; one person
complained that “no one was talking about the kids” and instead were emphasizing the financial situation.
“But the financial situation has impacted the children,” Griffin argued.
The Illinois State Board of Education rates schools every year on a financial basis, and the average profile for
Williamsville schools has been last in the county for the last several years.
“This problem may have been discovered overnight, but it did not happen overnight,” he said. “It is okay to vote
for some new eyes” in this situation.
Caldwell emphasized Root and the current board’s work in stemming the financial tide; in 2003, the district
was in the hole almost $200,000, but if all goes well, by the end of 2009, the balances could be in the $3 million
range.
The next question, posted by the WEA, was if there was one change/addition that could be implemented or
put into place, what would it be?
Rump said that the board needs to continue to find ways to cut costs without cutting programs or education;
she once again returned to the online registration form idea as one solution.
Mool wondered about more technology, like what District 186 does with middle schoolers and laptops; in her
legal career, she is often forced to use online research to conduct her work.
She also questioned how the exit of Rochester and Chatham from SASED would affect Williamsville
financially.
Choat, quite familiar with the District 186 laptop program, said he would love to see something like that in
Williamsville.
Griffin took a different tack, saying that more foreign language classes should be offered, in the lower levels
especially.
“Spanish is our country’s second language,” he said. “I do not think we can forget to strengthen our foreign
language programs.”
Caldwell discussed reducing teacher-student ratios and also the enormous energy bills the district faces;
last month, the bill was in the $45,000 range.
The more money that is spent on energy costs, the less that can be spent in children, he commented.
Reiterating Caldwell and Griffin, Long also took a law enforcement tack, because many Williamsville students
might not face some of the tougher issues once they go to college or enter the workforce.
Long wondered if more money could go to a “Weed-and-Seed program” which is used to combat gang and
drug problems, because they will see these things outside of Williamsville while seeing the relationship
between law enforcement and crime prevention, or Teen Court, the highly successful local program, wondering
if the program could actually be at the school.
The next question, from the PTO, asked each candidate what strengths they would bring to the board.
Mool was first, and she highlighted her teaching and state government experience, including contract
negotiations and personnel issues.
“I am a mom, and I care about my kids, but I also care about your kids,” she said.
Choat emphasized his school district experience and technology background.
Caldwell talked about his time on the board, including passing referenda.
“I have been through about every aspect of what a school board can do,” he said. “You can do without one of
us, but the core of the school is the teachers.”
Griffin, who has never run for public office, said, quite simply, “I have time,” noting his job rarely requires travel
out of the area.
“I can bring curiosity,” he continued, saying he would rather have eight bad ideas and two good ones instead
of no ideas at all, and he also discussed his energy management background.
Long, a former coach during his law school days, besides his financial investigation background mentioned
the recent resignation of Dave Urish as girls basketball coach, saying that athletics are more than wins and
losses but also about leadership and sportsmanship.
Rump was the last one to speak on the topic, and she reiterated her substitute teaching experience and her
consistent board meeting attendance.
The first question after a short break dealt with the arts and how the candidates perceived it (as a vital part of
the curriculum, for example, or more supplemental), as well as if the candidate would support the construction of
a new Fine Arts Center (FAC) more along the lines of what Riverton has (to replace the old gym, which now
serves as the Fine Arts Center).
Choat said music “was his life” away from his job, complimenting how teacher Kristy Cole worked with his
daughter and also complimenting the excellent music program as a whole.
Regarding a FAC, his simple answer was yes, though he “doubted” it would be at the top of a list.
Griffin said if the community supported it, he would too, adding that his construction background would be
helpful.
Almost everyone in the room would support such a project, though he said was smart enough to “not commit
to a huge construction project.”
Caldwell said building a FAC was discussed a few years ago, though he also discussed how some of the art,
even outside the cafeteria where he was talking, was “very powerful” and how it started at the younger ages.
“We would certainly do it” if the support was there.
Long was reticent to speculate, because he is not sure of the finances, but he more than once complimented
the current program.
He compared arts to athletics, and “we have a very specific mission, and that is to develop every kid to their
potential.”
Some students may be geared to engineering or athletics, but for some students, it is art, and “we need to
make sure we offer sufficient facilities and supplies” so they can achieve their potential.
“The art program has to be a core program,” he concluded.
Rump, whose daughters both are active in the fine arts program, said a new FAC would depend on costs and
“we have to depend on what we have” right now.
Mool started out as a voice major, and she said no one wants to pick between arts and sports, for example.
She is jealous of Riverton’s facility, especially considering the poor acoustics of the Williamsville FAC (but the
history of the old gym was wanted to be preserved, which she understood).
The next question asked how the candidates saw a school board, one of management or one of governance.
The general consensus of the candidates was that the board was more of governance; deferring to the
superintendent, whom Caldwell called the CEO of the district.
“Management really is the area of the superintendent and the principals,” argued Griffin. “The role of the board
is to be the voice of the community.”
Long said the roles of the board and teachers and community are interrelated, though the board’s main job is
governance and to set policy, because “administrators manage and teachers teach.”
Rump said the board’s job is to hire a competent person as superintendent (and have that person hire from
there) and then govern and set policy.
For Mool, the superintendent should take care of the day-to-day operations, though she disagreed that
teachers just teach, saying that constant communication is a must and trust that all people are working the
same goal.
Choat basically reiterated what the other candidates said.
The next question dealt with if Williamsville would ever consider a year-round, or balanced, calendar like what
Riverton has.
The general consensus was not favorable to the balanced calendar, be it for financial reasons (especially air
conditioning during the late July and early August school days) or adjusting the summer schedules.
The last question of the evening was one that the candidates mostly deflected, politely: what would be on the
cutting block if Root told the board that more needed to be cut. None of them would relish doing so, they argued,
and they would do everything in their power to preserve programs.
With many of the candidates not entirely privy to all financial information, they argued it would be tough to
come out and make a statement on what they would cut.
Long noted it would depend on the size of the shortfall, for example; a $100,000 deficit would be a lot easier
than a $5 million deficit.
Griffin noted that he would not be afraid to make those decisions, saying he had to do it as part of his duties
on his church board.
There will be another forum March 31 at the Williamsville Community Center; the Williamsville Mayoral
Candidates and the Williamsville Village Board candidates are also to be in attendance.
Issue Date: March 26, 2009