Indian Prairie candidates want more flexible agendas
Concerns about the lack of Valentine’s Day celebrations at some elementary schools in Indian Prairie Unit District 204 got parents and school board members talking about whether the board needs to be more flexible with its meeting agendas.
The issue caught the attention of the five candidates for three school board seats in the April 5 election — several of whom say some form of increased agenda flexibility during the school year would be beneficial.
The election field includes incumbents Curt Bradshaw and Alka Tyle and challengers Lori Price, Mark Rising and Tricia Tillotson.
The issue arose when parents approached the board in early February to express unhappiness that some schools did not have Valentine’s Day parties planned.
One board member asked to add a discussion of Valentine’s celebrations to the agenda. But the board sets its goals and discussion points during the summer, and current policy is not to add new items during the school year unless three or four board members ask for an addition, said Tyle, the school board’s vice president.
The board should be more prepared to deal with unexpected issues that affect teaching and learning, said Rising, a software sales manager.
“I would hope that if we set a number of goals, just like any business, that if you meet those, you also have a list of maybe five things waiting in the wings,” Rising said. “You always need to at least plan and schedule for something unforeseen happening.”
Requiring the agreement of several board members to add agenda items makes it too difficult for parents or other individuals to bring up a new concern for discussion, said first-time candidate Tillotson, a part-time recess supervisor and crossing guard for the district.
Bradshaw, a business executive, and Tillotson said reviewing possible issues for discussion every six months instead of once a year could help the board become more flexible.
“We do need to re-examine how we course-correct along the way,” Bradshaw said.
Price, a stay-at-home mom, agreed with the idea of reconsidering discussion topics more often.
“I think it does need review, maybe more often than once a year,” Price said. “But having some order and efficiency to that, too, I think is critical.”
Tyle, a homemaker and tutor, said she is not opposed to adjusting the agenda more throughout the year, but she believes in the current procedure because it focuses the board’s actions and helps hold district staff accountable.
“We felt it was reasonable considering the time constraints we operate under that if three or four board members were interested, that was something we discuss,” Tyle said. “I think this process was fair.”
The three candidates who receive the most votes in the April 5 election will win seats to serve parts of Naperville, Aurora, Bolingbrook and Plainfield.