Endorsements: Ludwig, Pavoris, Secrest and Somers for District 155 school board

The incoming Crystal Lake District 155 Board will have at least two new members after the April election. Nine people are running for four seats on the board.

Incumbents David Secrest and Ann Somers are joined by challengers Jason Black, Raphael Kamner, Donna Kurtz, Ron Ludwig, Nicole Pavoris, John Pletz and Scott Vetter.

District 155, which consists of Cary-Grove, Crystal Lake Central, Crystal Lake South and Prairie Ridge high schools, faces a number of challenges in the coming years.

Enrollment has dropped dramatically over the past few years. That has led to decreased funding from the state, which is already hard to count on because of the ongoing budget impasse.

The current board commissioned an efficiency study and the results of that study included some building consolidation. Decisions like that are never easy and shouldn't be made before thorough discussion and debate occurs with all the stakeholders.

Secrest has 16 years of experience on the board. He has a real grasp of the challenges facing the district, and he has the experience to help guide an inexperienced board through these difficult times.

Somers has served on the board for 12 years and is motivated to make sure District 155 students are ready for college or a career after high school.

As a teacher, Pavoris has a background in education, a passion for the job and wants to work to develop a spirit of collaboration among all the parties in the district. Pavoris also believes in increasing career readiness for students who might not be attending college.

Ludwig, who has more than two decades of experience as an educator. is committed to keeping a responsible budget and growing the number of District 155 graduates in STEM fields.

The Daily Herald was unable to contact Blake, Kamner, Kurtz, Pletz and Vetter, so we cannot assess their candidacies. Ludwig, Pavoris, Secrest and Somers make a fine team, however. and get our endorsement.