LTHS CANDIDATES FACE OFF AT FORUM

Five of seven candidates for four 4-year seats on the Lyons Township District 204 High School Board provided about 60 voters assembled in the newly redesigned South campus performing arts center by the La Grange Area League of Women Voters March 30 the chance to hear what they are all about.

Those running for reelection include incumbent School Board President Mark Pera, Vice President James Kohlstedt and members Allen Polich and William Purcell, former board member Todd Shapiro and newcomers George Dougherty and Raju Patel.

(At the conclusion of this story, we present some basic information about candidates running for the District 102 School Board and names of candidates seeking office in Districts 105 and 107. RESULTS of all local municipal, school and Park District races will appear Tuesday night)

Intriguing new ideas were raised during the 90-minute forum by newcomers Patel and Dougherty. But the incumbents touted their ability to build new facilities while keeping finances in check during tough economic times and working closely with feeder districts.

The latter theme, however, became a sticking point between Dougherty -- who criticized the 10-year span of time it took for the feeder districts to form a much-needed data sharing consortium with LT just now starting up -- and Kohlstedt vociferously defending the program's long, thought-out creation.

Dougherty, an attorney and 10-year La Grange resident, while praising incumbents for the district's "good financial condition," said if wasn't for the support of board members Heather Alderman and Purcell -- whom he has endorsed -- the consortium may still be in the making.

"We lost a generation of students if we waited 10 years (to form the consortium)," he said. "That should have been a no-brainer for everybody ... this is one (conceptual discussion) that should have went faster."

But in response -- oddly enough, when both were asked about later start times -- Kohlstedt said it took time for LT to convince six separate but associated ever-changing elementary district boards and administrations to attain unified agreement.

"It is not possible in two years or four years," he said of the idea Pera said was first proposed a decade ago. "If this data consortium is the start of a partnership, it was brought about as a partnership. If it's going to now form, it's going to form now as a partnership."

Pera later said the consortium took 10 years of "hard work and cooperation" to get moving, yet will help raise student performance in the long run.

He also said there was a fundamental misunderstanding about the consortium, in that it was not created to share test scores but to focus on every elementary teacher and classroom to determine "what is wrong and what isn't" in hopes of fixing it.

On the subject of students starting school at a later time, Dougherty said he would "listen to input" on the idea, but Kohlstedt said while he does not believe "in reinventing the wheel," it would have to first be addressed with teacher and staff labor unions.

Pera added that doing so could affect athletic practice and event start times and may only spur the negative effect of allowing students to stay up and sleep later.

Patel, who sits on the board of an inner-city parochial school in Chicago that serves a largely low-income, African-American community, said he would focus on improving test scores and the work of under-performing students.

Dougherty, who advocated making LT "a more student-centered institution," stressed "not enough time or attention" is focused on the "middle" group of students who can fall more quickly and easily and whose low test scores can "bring down the whole class."

Patel suggested the district "needs to do a better job" with children from one-parent households and minority and immigrant students whom in the past 10 years have more than doubled to 10 percent of the student body.

"We are not addressing changes in our student body mix," he said, adding he would also like to improve graduation rates. "We need to reach out to (those populations) differently."

Kohlstedt, admitting LT faces some critical cultural issues, praised the current board for establishing an alternative school option for troubled students and appointing liaisons with both the African-American and Hispanic communities.

"I do not believe we are in a tense (or unsafe) environment" and what is most important is connecting with students and their families, he said, adding it is customary for some Hispanic boys to quit school and go to work at 16. "This board is working very hard to work closer with our minorities and their needs."

Dougherty later agreed that while such liaison relationships are vital, they should be handled by a much larger group of advisors, not just one liaison.

Shapiro, who served the board until 2007, said the more LT encourages all children to get involved in extra-curricular clubs and sports, the more they will feel connected.

When asked what qualities they believed LT graduates should leave with, Patel said a good set of character morals, educational skills to seek gainful employment and/or exceed college entrance requirements and basic financial skills such as budgeting and saving.

Dougherty added critical thinking to the mix, suggesting too much focus may be placed on achieving great test scores.

Many of the candidates agreed with the use of class rankings and the intrinsic value of homework.

Kohlstedt said it teaches "discipline for life" and Shapiro responded "absolutely, but within reason."

Pera said "something is lost" when meetings are taped or aired live on cable television and agreed with Kohlstedt people "play" to cameras -- but communication has improved with better and more frequent website updates and features.

"LT has done a lot to make information available to the community, Kolstedt said.

Shapiro said website data is now so accurate, parents know their child's grades before they do.

Patel, who favors airing meetings on cable, said he'd like to improve relations even more with feeder districts, in part by assigning board members to be liaisons to each district and using technology to seek a broader input perhaps through website surveys.

Dougherty also embraced Pera's ideas for more town meetings, but said the board needs to a better job of "reaching out" to all of the communities it serves

In the area of finances, Kohlstedt stressed proposed tax increment financing districts in the district's nine communities can be flexible and said school boards should be proactive in negotiating better agreements -- by example LT's recent ability to lobby for "a much shorter period" for what could have been a typical 23-year TIF district in McCook.

Pera said the board has always been able to protect the district in such talks and noted some of the districts will soon expire and produce additional new tax revenue to 204.

Patel agreed the district's projected $800,000 deficit could be erased in this year's budget through new TIF revenues and federal per-student aid, but said he was "concerned" with bonds coming due in two years and the need to refinance and seek better interest rates.

Patel, who has spent 23 years in banking, said District 204 needs a balanced board representing various backgrounds and feels he can bring a fresh perspective.

One example he cited is his desire to be creative by checking out the favored tax benefits of considering the use of solar power to generate energy in the schools.

Shapiro, a chief financial officer for the Illinois CPA Society who said he served on the board in the late 1990s when times were also tough financially, said he has helped do curriculum reviews, add a pool, fieldhouse and an improved theatre but wants to help the board face a new crossroads as it faces a minor deficit and takes on a new superintendent this summer for the first time in 17 years.

Polich had a representative read his opening statement at the forum, although Purcell, who is also on the ballot but was absent, did not.

An 8-year board veteran and a 4-year member of the LT Community Council, the spokesman said his focus is to "take LT to a higher level of excellence."

The former 13-year educator, administrator and coach stated he has "no hidden agenda" and was proud to be with a board that made significant improvements without new taxes.

Dougherty said his negotiating skills would be an asset to next year's teacher contract talks and vows to not only provide new focus, leadership and perspectives but spend money wisely.

An advocate of better communication with staff, parents and the community, he is supported by incumbent Village Board trustees Michael Horvath and James Palermo.

Pera, a 27-year Western Springs resident and Cook County prosecutor who unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination for the 5th district congressional seat last year, called himself a proven consensus builder.

Kohlstedt, a lawyer and father of four LT graduates, said he's glad to have been part of such a successful district.

"You as a community have every right to be proud of this high school," he said in closing. "This board is a consensus-based board, not a politically divided board."


SCHOOL DISTRICT 102: 4 FOR 3 SEATSSchool District 102, which serves students in parts of La Grange and La Grange Park, has four candidates seeking election to three 4-year seats.

They include Delegate Assembly endorsed incumbents Jennifer Comparoni and Michael Guagenti and newcomer Mark Stenner, as well as non-endorsed independent Peter Daniels.

Although we did not individually interview each one, and nor did we attend the same public forum that night due to a conflicting schedule, we did manage to collect some of the candidates' campaign materials being distributed to the community.

Comparoni, a first-term member and 10-year La Grange resident, wants to provide the best education possible, ensure sound fiscal management to protect taxpayers' investment and increase the district's accountability to the communities it serves.

She says the current board has initiated an ambitious agenda to evaluate and strengthen its education program, operated within fiscal means and carefully managed its resources, taken its role as resident representatives seriously, with accountability and believes the next four years will be critical.

Many of the board's initiatives are in early stages and require further development, she stated, and it must continue to seek creative solutions to get more utilization from existing space, be poised for the transition of a new superintendent and administrative team and provide financial stewardship through the economic downturn without going to referendum,

She holds an masters of business administration from the Harvard Business School and has a background in management consulting.

Guagenti, co-founder of a boutique investment banking firm, has stated his goals include providing direction to the district while optimizing resources to stretch academic and social capabilities of every child.

Also a 10-year La Grange resident, he is in his frist term as well and currently serves as the
board's vice president.

Stenner, a 14-year La Grange Park resident and a liability insurance manager, believes a high-quality curriculum is paramount to a successful district and wants to pursue continuous involvement in a financially prudent manner and championing clear communications with all constituent groups.

Daniels, an attorney and a member of the district's Finance Advisory Council, believes the district financial status to be "precarious" and says if spending continues to increase, revenue cannot remain static or decrease -- and suggests the board be conservative and focus on basics.

He also believes the board needs to do a comprehensive review of all its general, supplemental and special education programs, of which he has experience in and would bring a unique perspective to the board to deal with.


SCHOOL DISTRICTS 105, 107

Elementary School District 105, which serves students in La Grange, will see a contest between five candidates for four, 4-year seats including Mark Smith, Kristine Lonsway, Michael Warkentien, Eileen Tucker and David Herndon.


The School Board in Pleasant Dale District 107 has four 4-year seats on the ballot being sought by seven candidates. They include Mark Mirabile, Leandra Sedlack, Patti Essig, Gina Scaletta-Nelson, Karen O'Halloran, Michael Rak and Lauri Valentin.