Three incumbents. Three challengers. The distinct factions of Community Unit School District 200 School Board candidates agreed on little during a pre-election Q&A panel March 5, especially when it came to the relocation of Hubble Middle School and signs of government transparency.
Each side accused the other of spreading misconceptions, and both took time to defend or clarify their own positions.
In his opening statement, incumbent John Bomher set the tone by asking the audience not to be distracted by the rhetoric of challengers Mark Stern, Betty Welker and Paul Yousif — all members of EDUCATE 200, which has criticized certain decisions by the board.
“When you have the facts on your side, argue the facts. When you have the law on your side, argue the law,” Bomher said. “If you have neither on your side, pound the table.”
Bomher said a lot of table-pounding would be coming from his opponents and urged people to vote for him Tuesday, April 17, because he prefers collaboration over confrontation.
EDUCATE 200 candidates returned shots, voicing disapproval for how board members have handled communication with the public, land negotiation for Hubble, Superintendent Gary Catalani’s high salary and related disclosure issues as well as the hiring of a new superintendent.
“I’m concerned stability might be mistaken for stagnation,” Stern said. “What’s missing is School Board leadership. Leadership requires more than a nod of the head every time the administration asks for it.”
Stern later went on to say there were vast differences in how the City Council and School Board respond to concerned residents. He said the council will engage in conversation with the public, explaining stances and connecting people with city liaisons who can help them. The board doesn’t employ the same approaches and ignores questions and dissent, Stern said.
“We need a board you can talk with, not talk at,” he added.
Here are some other highlights:
Board relations
There was some discussion over the board’s philosophical place within the district as well as the relationship between the board and administration.
• “The board is a policy-making body. We are not in charge of the day-to-day operational tasks,” incumbent Rosemary Swanson said. She also stressed that it’s the job of members to ensure accountability of the superintendent;
• “The School Board basically gets on the bus to tell it where to go, but the superintendent is on to drive,” Welker said. “I have no plans to micromanage, but I do want to help (navigate) the bus”;
• “From what I can see, we keep a balcony rather than a dance floor perspective,” incumbent Marie Slater said;
• Yousif said the board and Catalani have an “exceedingly good” relationship and would like to see a greater degree of separation maintained; and
• “I’ve been told that a good administrator should praise in public, criticize in private,” Bomher said. “Not everything is in lock step. We do have differences in opinion.”
Focus on gifted programs
Most agreed on the district’s success with the upper echelon of students as well as low-performing groups. But a few wanted more investment in helping average students.
• “It’s tempting to focus on high-achieving students — they are brought before the board for their accomplishments — but you also don’t want to forget about the vast middle,” Stern said. “There are lobbyists for the gifted students, but you don’t want to miss that other group”; and
• “I am the proud parent of three average students,” Welker said. “Yes, get both ends of the spectrum covered. But you don’t want to forget about those in the middle of the road.”
Hubble referendum
Although all candidates said they would support whatever decision constituents make, challengers argued that the citizenry hasn’t been adequately informed of the trade-offs of rebuilding and that the board, with its mind already set, is deaf to feedback.
• “Will the incumbent board agree to abide by voters ... and not simply come back and beat them into submission?” Stern asked, citing the contract’s clause for multiple referendums; and
• “It’s more cost-effective to build new,” Swanson said. “It’s not a game. No zero-sum. I don’t see how any other equation is better for students. I was of the mind that we ought to (go to referendum immediately). But calmer heads than mine prevailed.” She also recapped clean environmental testing results and said it’s dangerous to ignore the experts.
To-do list
• “No. 1: The transition of the new superintendent will probably take awhile. ... No. 2 is a program-based budget,” Swanson said. She also acknowledged that the board has gotten lower scores from the community on communications skills and said she’d like to address that weakness;
• “We need to realize how diversity is changing (our schools),” Slater said; and
• “Citizens are stakeholders. ... I want to return deliberations of this government body to the public forum, start up ‘Banter with the Board’ and find a positive win-win for the Hubble resolution,” Yousif said.