For Mount Prospect Dist. 57: Leane, Sonnefeldt, Composto

Daily Herald Editorial Board

Over the past several years, Mount Prospect Elementary District 57 has been in the news more often than it would have liked: a bus driver intoxicated on the job; the firings of the district transportation director and a popular principal; the abrupt outsourcing of student busing; an incoming superintendent with a DUI on her record; the debated reopening of Westbrook School; a $1.5 million deficit, and now, layoffs.

More than once, the District 57 administration ducked the unpleasantness. Joseph Leane never did. As president of the school board, he was the person most frequently out front. Now, at the end of his second term, the personnel issues have faded and the new challenge is finances. We have been impressed by Leane’s leadership, and think the board would benefit from some consistency. We strongly endorse him for another four years.

We’re impressed by all four candidates but there are only three seats. One of them should go to Joe Sonnefeldt, a musician and teacher who was on the District 57 Foundation board and also on the 2002 Facilities Task Force. He worked tirelessly for a District 57 tax increase in 2003 that failed by 42 votes.

Dennis Composto and Nick Papanicholas are both well-versed on district issues. Composto, an attorney, is adamant the district should not ask for a tax increase until it has balanced its budget through cuts and restructuring, a stance we agree makes the most sense for the district today.

Papanicholas, a business owner, while not directly advocating a tax increase has more faith that voters see the value in District 57 and would agree to support it.