Maine Twp. voters go with old, new for school board

Voters in Maine Township High School District 207 kept two incumbents but also went with two newcomers in filling four seats on the school board Tuesday.

With 144 of 144 precincts reporting late Tuesday, challengers Margaret McGrath and Eldon Burk both appeared to have secured seats. Unofficial totals showed McGrath with 12,784 votes and Burk with 9,182.

Incumbents Edward Mueller and Eric Leys were also headed toward another term with 11,127 and 8,847 votes respectively. Leys, however, had only a slight lead over newcomer Jerry Kellog, who trailed with 8,446 votes. Incumbent Marijo Bustos was behind with 7,108 votes.

Board member Jeffery Bergen did not run for re-election, opening up a spot for a non-incumbent on the board. Voters, however, went with two new candidates.

"I don't know that there's any specific message," McGrath said of her win. "I think that voters listened to groups they trusted - and got a sense of who I was and what I was about. I'm not looking for radical change, but I am looking to tease my expertise."

McGrath, an attorney, said she'll be a "voice of reason and balance" and her agenda is making sure that students get the best education possible.

Burk, who was also elected to his first term, is a retired high school teacher. During the campaign, District 207 candidates disagreed on the board's recent decision to spend $1.2 million on a synthetic turf field for Maine South High School.

Kellog, Burk and Bustos questioned the expense in tough economic times, while other - Mueller and Leyes and McGrath - said the field is safer, lets more students use it, and will pay for itself in 10 years. Use of the current field is limited to reduce wear because it sits atop a landfill and sod grows poorly.

Maine South's synthetic field will be installed this summer and should be ready for use in the fall.