District 87 Candidates Make Their Case

The Glen Ellyn League of Women Voters hosted a forum on Sunday afternoon at Glen Crest Middle School, for candidates in several local races that will be decided April 5. Included were school board candidates from Glenbard District 87 and two of its feeder districts, 89 and 41, that serve Glen Ellyn residents.

Each candidate gave an opening and closing statement. In between, they answered questions submitted by those in attendance. Their opening statements were limited to three minutes; closing statements were one minute, as were responses to audience questions. Every candidate gave a response to every question.

Below is a recap of the District 87 session:

District 87 Candidates: Mary FitzGerald Ozog (challenger); Rose Malcolm (incumbent); Steven Sebby (incumbent); Tom Trefilek (incumbent).

Up for grabs: Three seats for four candidates.

FitzGerald Ozog said she wants to represent the voice of parents if elected. Among her top issues are district finances and achievement for all Glenbard students.

“Our kids are facing many outside forces and achievement that will prepare them for their future is obviously very important,” FitzGerald Ozog said.

The lone challenger also said improved communication between the district and the community is a priority.

“When you use the word ‘stakeholder’ and you communicate with people, you need to also be willing to receive their opinions in return and act on those opinions,” FitzGerald Ozog said.

Malcolm said the board’s first goal should be to make sure all students are achieving at the highest level and that she recognizes teachers as a “critical voice in terms of developing a core curriculum” by sharing best practices throughout the four schools.

Malcolm also said it’s the district’s responsibility to manage its finances for those educational needs to be met.

“Finally,” Malcolm said, “I think we need to continue to build and maintain strong partnerships with our community, our business community, our medical practitioners, our parents and members of our community who are not parents of Glenbard students.”

Sebby said the board needs to identify the difference between needs and wants in order to stay fiscally responsible.

“We have to be, as board members, strong in order to stand up to the vocal minority who has a strong want [and identify] whether or not that’s a real need,” Sebby said.

Also important to Sebby was that the district offers a safe environment for teachers and the best education to students.

“We are moving toward in the right direction on all three,” Sebby said.

Trefilek said his top issue is the budget and “maintaining solvency through these difficult times” with the prospect of possible national inflation on the horizon.  

“Our district must continue to bring the best education possible to our community,” Trefilek said.

He also emphasized the importance of dealing with unfunded mandates from higher levels of government and “a Glenbard for everyone,” including the 20 percent of district students who are get free or reduced lunch.

“I think it’s necessary that we help them be able to have the funds to take AP courses, ACT review courses, and participate in all extracurricular activities,” Trefilek said.

• That the federal No Child Left Behind policy and its emphasis on standardized testing isn’t the best approach.
• That District 87 and its feeder districts be on the same page in what elementary and middle school students must know to be successful in high school.
• That it’s in the best interest of the district to consider the elimination of class rank.

Maximizing the tax levy:

FitzGerald Ozog said regularly maximizing the rate is something that needs to be looked at “very seriously.”

"I don’t think it necessarily is sustainable,” the challenger said. According to FitzGerald Ozog, 4,000 properties within District 87 are bank-owned, under sheriff sale, or are at risk of foreclosure. “We don’t know where our tax base is headed. I think the problems of the last three years in our economy are going to eventually catch up with us.”

Sebby said it would be nice if the district could collect less, but that would translate into less revenue from the state, which he admitted “makes no sense.”

“Unless we apply for the max amount, we as a district will lose funding,” Sebby said.

Both Malcolm and Trefilek said the district is doing a good job in its tax levying.

The four candidates were split on the controversial issue that has dominated recent board meetings.

Malcolm and Trefilek both were in support of the lights while maintaining they would be paid for by community organizations and booster funds.

“The funding for those lights would not come from district,” Malcolm said.

Sebby said he worried the issue was being pushed through too quickly.

“[Glenbard]West is a very unique situation, being surrounded by an old and established residential community,” Sebby said. “We need to have input from the community, to listen to their questions, and not just rush something through in six weeks.”

FitzGerald Ozog volunteered the idea of a community panel for the issue.

“What I believe is that before lights are installed, there are other options that can be explored—options that may not cost as much money,” she said. “At this point, the money isn’t there.”

The three incumbents supported district-wide standards and curriculum.

“We’re looking for one Glenbard,” Trefilek said, “So college recruiters or employers know [the students] have been tested to their max and that is something very important to us. Each of the schools are unique, but the core courses should be standardized.”

Malcolm agreed a core curriculum is beneficial.

“It ensures that every student that comes to Glenbard is well prepared,” she said. “It allows teachers to pool practices, to identify best practices. Therefore it’s a better use of our resources.”

Said Sebby, "If a child from South transerfs to West, he or she should be able to walk right into that classroom at the same level."

FitzGerald Ozog, a Glenbard West parent, worried about sophomores being pushed into AP classes they may not be prepared for and the district’s no-drop policy. She talked about an effort she led to keep Contemporary World History in the Glenbard West curriculum after it was replaced with an AP class as a part of the One Glenbard standardization system.