Newcomers challenging Stevenson trustees

For the first time in 18 years, the upcoming race for the Stevenson High School District 125 board will be contested.

It's been so long since anyone challenged the incumbents, two of the three board veterans who will be on the April 2011 ballot have never faced campaign opposition.

“It says something for the community support of the school board,” said board member Terry Moons, who was appointed to the board in the mid-1980s and has won election multiple times without ever having an opponent.

Cindy Pagano, who helps oversee Lake County's elections as the chief deputy county clerk, can't recall another local school district of Stevenson's size going as long without a contested race.

“It is uncommon,” Pagano said.

Four newcomers are in the race for four seats, each with 4-year terms: Kim J. Brady of Long Grove; Charles Cardella of Long Grove; Kathy A. Powell of Vernon Hills; and David Weisberg of Long Grove.

They're challenging incumbents Moons, Merv Roberts and Bruce Lubin. Board member Lester Raff's seat is up next year, but he's not running again.

Located on a 76-acre campus in Lincolnshire, Stevenson serves an estimated 4,200 students and is one of the largest schools in the area.

The appearance of opposition candidates shows the community is interested in the school, Lubin said.

“It means there's some things that some people want to do differently, and I'm interested in hearing what they are,” said Lubin, a Long Grove resident who now serves as the board's president.

Powell, 49, of Vernon Hills, said she's concerned about the current generation of teenagers and wants to ensure they have “the proper tools” to succeed in life after Stevenson.

She praised the efforts of the current board, saying “I want to be a part of it.”

Cardella, 57, of Long Grove, is focused on the district's finances and the economic struggles of local taxpayers. He complained about Stevenson High's multimillion-dollar surplus and said officials must re-evaluate the school's costs and how they spend the public's money.

“How do we get excellent education at a more reasonable cost?” he asked. “I'm betting there are a lot of places where money can be saved.”

Unlike Powell, Cardella has sought public office before. In 1992 he ran as a Republican for the state 60th House District seat, and lost to Democrat Lauren Beth Gash.

Weisberg, 62, of Long Grove, is a first-time candidate. His wife, Cydney, formerly served on the Long Grove village board.

A retired business owner, Weisberg said he was inspired to run after seeing how the Chinese government emphasizes education during a visit there. He said he wants to make sure Stevenson students are competitive globally.

Brady couldn't be reached for comment.

Moons, 68, of Buffalo Grove, called the election competition healthy. She cited the need to maintain Stevenson's standing “as a school of excellence” in an uncertain economy as a key issue.

“I am passionate about this school,” Moons said. “There's something about what goes on at Stevenson, and I'm proud to be part of it.”

Lubin, 57, joined the school board in 2003. Keeping high-quality teachers despite the current economic pressures is his top concern.

That's particularly important now, Lubin said, because officials have begun negotiating the terms of a new contract with the teachers union. The current contract expires in 2011.

Roberts, 70, of Lincolnshire, first was elected to the board in 1981. Funding issues are on the horizon, he said, but the board has been managing its money well since voters last approved a tax-rate increase in 2002.

That year, the board promised it wouldn't put another referendum on the ballot for 10 years, and officials will exceed that goal, Roberts said.