Endorsements: Blaeske, Franklin, Haldeman in Lisle Dist. 202
The Lisle Unit District 202 school board will face some crucial issues in the coming years, from talk of implementing all-day kindergarten to discussions about the future of the district's aging Schiesher and Tate Woods schools. Officials also have embarked on what they call Vision 202, a project designed to collect community input to help ensure the district is headed in the right direction and likely to build support for plans to either make major repairs to its elementary schools or possibly even to replace them with a new one. Whether such improvements would require voter approval through a referendum question remains to be seen.
It's against that backdrop that voters will go to the polls on April 7 to choose three candidates from a field of four that features incumbents Anne Blaeske and Darryl Franklin along with newcomers Joanne Haldeman and Wendy Nadeau.
Blaeske, who is seeking a second term, is a steadying influence on the board who understands the issues and how to address them. An advocate for anti-bullying policies, she has been fiscally responsible and supported efforts to develop a long-term strategic plan and to collect more community input. She is endorsed.
Franklin, a longtime Lisle resident, isn't afraid to ruffle feathers in what he says is his goal to push the district from being good to being great. He views himself as a catalyst for change, particularly when it comes to curriculum and closing the achievement gap for minority students, and he has pushed hard for the district to focus on long-term planning. He is endorsed.
Haldeman is a longtime volunteer in District 202 who has an education background and says she has a feel for the school community and a willingness to listen to residents' concerns. She says she's worried about the aging elementary schools but confident input from the Vision 202 program will provide guidance for the board. She is endorsed because we think she will approach key issues in a thoughtful and collaborative manner that will serve the board and district well.