District 214: Dussling, Kreutzer, Petro
School board members in the suburbs are largely judged by one overriding criteria - the consistent quality of education. Especially in the case of the elite high school districts, residents want to know that their children are getting the education they are paying so dearly for.
Statistics and student success tell us that Northwest Suburban High School District 214 has met these demanding standards year after year.
The average ACT score is rising. More than 8,000 of the 12,000 students took Advanced Placement classes in 2014; and, 77 percent of them scored a "3" or higher.
District 214 - along with District 211 and Barrington High School - is joining Harper College in the exciting "Power of 15" initiative - giving seniors the option of taking college-credit classes without leaving their high schools, and graduating with as many as 15 credits.
The present District 214 school board isn't solely responsible for this good fortune, but it has hired the people who are.
School board members running for re-election next month are Bill Dussling and Dan Petro of Arlington Heights, and Alva Kreutzer of Elk Grove Village. Challenging for a seat is Kevin Lindell of Mount Prospect.
District 214 has been fortunate in its leadership and this election is no different. All four candidates have good resumes, plenty of public service and an abiding interest in education.
And while we wish the District 214 board would engage in more public debate on the occasional issue, we give credit to the current board for keeping the ship on a steady course. There's labor peace as well - rumored contentious negotiations on a new teacher contract didn't materialize, and the new five-year contract signed last May seemed to walk both sides of the line adequately - including a new, high-deductible health care plan that reduces district costs but also provides an employee health care savings plan.
We endorse Dussling, Kreutzer and Petro for re-election. They have proved good stewards of the educational machine placed in their hands.