Endorse: Anderson, Siegal and Yaffe for Mundelein High School board

A big experiment begins this year in Mundelein High School District 120, where Superintendent Kevin Myers will also become the top administrator for Mundelein Elementary District 75, beginning in July.

Though all four candidates for three openings on the District 120 board back the innovative arrangement, we think two incumbents knowledgeable about the shared leadership should stay on board to help steer a successful launch.

They are board President Joanne Anderson, a comptroller for New Trier High School, and Jane Siegal, a retired Mundelein High School social worker.

Anderson, who was a board member in District 75 before being elected to the high school board in 2011, helped establish goals and expectations for Myers' dual role. She anticipates "bumps in the road" but expects both school boards to work through them.

Siegal hopes the patchwork of school districts in central Lake County could share other services in the future, including curriculum and financial management. Having all of the districts on the same page would help students and cut costs, she believes.

We endorse Anderson and Siegal as well as Lisa Yaffe, a leadership instructor and coach whose oldest child attends Mundelein High School. Yaffe has spent a decade on the board of Diamond Lake Elementary District 76, including the last eight years as president. Like District 75, District 76 sends most of its graduates to Mundelein High School and shares some services with it.

Yaffe's experience puts her in a perfect position to explore improved continuity and shared services among school districts in the area.

The fourth candidate, Peter Rastrelli, is a school psychologist in private practice whose two oldest children attend Mundelein High School. He would add a different type of expertise to the school board, but he lacks the experience the other three bring to the table.

While all four are solid options, we recommend Anderson, Siegal and Yaffe.