Endorsements: Gorman, Kellenberger, Perry for Central Unit Dist. 301 schools

Incumbent Jeff Gorman’s passion for the district and his ability to help balance the needs of the Central Unit Dist. 301 schools with the wallets of the taxpayers earns our endorsement. There can be a big learning curve with the complexities involved in service on the board, and he’s earned more time to see things through. Newcomer Jeffrey Kellenberger would be an asset with his background as a mediator in real estate issues, and his desire to bring teacher pension costs to a sustainable level makes sense. Fellow newcomer Maggie Perry spent 28 years teaching, and we like her priorities on early literacy for younger students and college readiness for high schoolers. Duane Schmitt and Rick Pryor are also vying for spots on the board, and both have experience with the district and want to get more involved. However, we feel Gorman, Kellenberger and Perry would best guide the district as the state pension crisis comes to a head and other key academic and financial issues loom.