Bustos, Leys, Mueller, Burk for Maine Township 207 schools

Maine Township High School District 207 board candidates are in the enviable position of setting policy for a district with a reserve equal to almost a year's spending, so they won't immediately face the hard financial choices about cuts and layoffs that many of their counterparts do in a faltering economy.

And the current crop of candidates shows a level of knowledge and concern about balancing district finances with the need to run a high-quality program that can leave voters confident that the district will continue to be in good hands, even with the transition to a new superintendent to be picked in coming weeks.

We endorse incumbents Marijo Bustos, Eric Leys and Edward Mueller as strongly meriting another term. All three demonstrated detailed knowledge of the issues, appreciation of nuance and ability to disagree respectfully. They complement each other in age, experience and background.

For the fourth seat, we endorse Eldon Burk, a longtime teacher at Maine West. He showed a deep interest in making sure the system serves all students. Margaret McGrath, very strong on finances and academic achievement, and Jerry Kellogg, concerned about testing and that Maine West may not be getting its share of resources, were narrower in their focus.