Dist. 26 school board candidates weigh in on grade-level centers
Candidates running for River Trails Elementary District 26 school board agree the district should explore transforming its two elementary schools into grade-level centers.
Yet, not all candidates are convinced of the benefits of such a move.
Incumbents Steven O'Mara, Rebecca Reese, Edward Slosar and Jeffrey Bradley, and newcomers Marianela Gonzalez and Donna Nasser are vying for four 4-year school board terms on April 7.
Officials at the Mount Prospect-based school district, which has two elementary buildings and a middle school, have talked about going to grade-level centers for more than two years.
That would mean students in the same grade attend the same school. Also, removing sixth grade from River Trails Middle School would make it a junior high building.
Bradley, 52, who was first appointed to complete a vacated board term and later elected to another four years, said the board needs to pursue the option more aggressively.
He said there are huge inequities between the same grade levels at Euclid and Indian Grove elementary schools in terms of test scores and resources.
"I'm disappointed that in the last two years we haven't been able to put it on the front burner until two months ago," he said. "I don't know why we are not listening to the experts."
Candidates disagree on just how much disparity there is in resources between the two schools.
Reese, 51, a board member since 2001 serving in various capacities, including president and vice president, said the district had other pressing matters to address, including going through two superintendents during that time.
"Most of the (districts) that have gone to grade-level centers have done it for a financial reason," Reese said. "It is not a financial necessity for our district right now. This will be a huge endeavor and needs to be done correctly."
Slosar, 39, who was elected two years ago, said the school board should take its time to research the educational benefits of grade-level centers since it would affect two of the district's three schools.
"If it costs $20 million, we may not be on board because the cost may outweigh the benefits of education," he said.
School board president O'Mara, 50, who is running for his second term, said the board should be open to the idea of grade-level centers if they would help improve performance.
"This can't be done without community involvement," he added.
Nasser, 39, an area Girl Scouts troop leader, questioned whether the district's transportation costs would go up with grade-level centers since more students would have to be bused to a school farther away.
"We should most definitely explore them and understand what the financial benefits are," Nasser said.
Gonzalez, 42, a schoolteacher and daughter of immigrant parents, said she likes the grade-level center concept because it would blend together two very different schools with a significant number of Spanish and Polish-speaking students.
She added should the district decide to create such centers, officials should be prepared to answer a lot of parents' questions in English and Spanish.