Libertyville District 70 board will have at least 2 newcomers

With school expansions either complete or set to begin and a sound financial picture, Libertyville Elementary District 70 is in good shape although a teacher contract and possible influx of students could be issues in coming years.

Eight candidates are running for four seats Tuesday for a board that will have at least two new members, as two incumbents are not running for re-election.

Board President Tom Vickers is seeking a third term, and secretary pro-tem Wendy Schilling is seeking a second. They are joined on the ballot by Chris Coughlin, Joshua Gordon, Marc Grote, Tim McGrory, Kellen Merchen and Adam Phillips.

Coughlin, who is in sales, said he was prompted to run after participating in the district's strategic planning process. He advocates greater transparency regarding available financial information and introducing foreign language instruction as earlier age.

He said the board at some point may have to consider redrawing school boundaries to a more "traditional grid" to accommodate new students from proposed developments.

Gordon, a marketing executive and former Navy officer, served on the district's strategic planning and curriculum advisory committees. He says he wants to build on the momentum the district has made in technology and other areas. Video recording meetings, for example, would increase community participation, he said.

"I think there are ways we can be more transparent than we currently are," Gordon said. He said he wants to establish a culture of "minimal testing disruption" and collaborate with Libertyville High School to identify areas to better prepare for the transition.

Grote is a banker who grew up in town and said he wants to use his skills to provide "thoughtful oversight" on the board and contribute to the school community.

A member of MainStreet Libertyville and the David Adler Arts and Music Center, Grote said the school board represents a "natural progression" of community service.

McGrory, is a school law attorney and has counseled districts on collective bargaining, employment law and business contracts. He also serves on curriculum and strategic planning committees.

"I think I can bring a lot of perspective," he said.

Merchen is general manager of Neumann's Cigars & More and grew up in Libertyville. He says he favors providing foreign language instruction at an earlier age.

Phillips is a medical courier who wants to better choices on curriculum.

"We have to be doing a little bit more to make sure the Common Core works," he said. He's suggesting other tools and skills to provide a "solid learning foundation."

Schilling, an assistant Cook County public defender, waited until her kids were out of school to run for the board. She said it is important to represent residents without children in District 70.

Schilling negotiated three contracts for the public defenders union and is concerned with pension reform. She said finances also are an interest although with a $25 million surplus, the district is well-positioned to deal with possible funding fluctuations.

Vickers, an attorney, has served the past two years as board president. He said he is not motivated by a particular issue but wants to work on behalf of all District 70 stakeholders in preparing students for the future.

Teacher contracts are up at the end of the 2017-18 school year, and there are expected retirements of top administrators. "There's a lot of important work ahead for our board," he said.