Campbell, Morris claim spots with two incumbents on Woodland board

Candidate Catherine Campbell's sharply focused call for more openness on the Woodland Elementary School District 50 board apparently resonated with voters, who elected her to the board Tuesday.

Campbell and fellow newcomer Joan Morris won seats on the Gurnee-based panel, as did incumbents Lawrence A. Gregorash and Carla N. Little.

They beat out three other candidates for the four posts.

With votes in all 40 precincts counted, unofficial totals showed Campbell led with 2,195 votes, Morris had 2,121 votes, Gregorash had 2,115 votes, Little had 1,861 votes, Beth Nguyen had 1,721 votes, Bonnie Berger-Neel had 1,567 votes and Bari Faith Loebman had 1,243 votes.

Gregorash and Little were the only incumbents in the race. Morris' late husband, Thomas, was the board's president until his death in 2005.

"I'm very excited that I'll have the opportunity to represent all the families in the district," Morris said.

The district's finances, teacher salaries and government transparency were among the issues the candidates grappled with during the campaign.

The latter issue was the crux of Campbell's campaign, which amounted to a push for more government openness and communication. Campbell could not be reached for comment Tuesday night.

The board must now decide how to deal with a predicted $2 million budget shortfall. A financial review committee will need to look at possible budget cuts and staff reductions, officials have said.

"We'll have to look at the budget in terms of cuts and also look for revenue increases," Little said. "You probably could expect some cuts in the next fiscal year, unfortunately. Because of the economy right now, it's a reality."