Longtime Dist. 211 board member helped build consensus

One of the longest-serving members on the Palatine Township High School District 211 board died Wednesday.

Anne Koller, who served a total of 23 years on the board, from 1978 until her retirement in October 2001, had lived in Inverness, but most recently in Arlington Heights. She was 84.

Mrs. Koller was a consensus builder on the board, said Gerald Chapman, former District 211 superintendent, who pointed to her congenial personality and ability to influence her peers.

"She personified the role of a good school board member," Chapman said. "She influenced her fellow board members in a positive way and always listened to their opinions with respect."

District 211 is one of the largest high school districts in the state, overseeing more than 12,000 students.

Its facilities include: Conant, Fremd, Hoffman Estates, Palatine and Schaumburg high schools, serving students in Hoffman Estates, Inverness, Palatine and Schaumburg and parts of Arlington Heights, Elk Grove Village, Hanover Park, Rolling Meadows, Roselle, Streamwood and South Barrington.

Colleagues said Mrs. Koller advocated for the needs of students at all ends of the spectrum, taking a particular interest in monitoring curriculum trends.

She served as the board representative at Northwest Suburban Special Education Organization meetings, while later serving as board vice president of District 211 from 1991 to 1994.

Former board member Dora Wolf said she thought of Mrs. Koller as a mentor when she joined the board.

"I looked at her as the person with the longest number of years of service," Wolf said. "She commanded a lot of respect and people in the community just loved her.

"A lot of time, we didn't agree on the issues," Wolf added, "but I knew she was a person of great integrity."

Prior to joining the board, Mrs. Koller had been involved with the League of Women Voters in Palatine. Colleagues suggest her school board service, despite having no children of her own , was an extension of her community involvement.

The Illinois State Board of Education honored Mrs. Koller's dedication twice, in 1986 and again in 1997, when she was named School Board Member of the Year in the Those Who Excel award program.

Mrs. Koller is survived by her husband, Andrew, a former longtime Palatine dentist.

Visitation will take place at 1 p.m. Thursday before a 2 p.m. memorial service at St. John the Beloved Chapel at Lutheran Home & Services, 800 W. Oakton St. in Arlington Heights.