A Thumbnail Sketch of the Seven Candidates for Effingham Unit 40 School Board
Published on March 31 2023 10:47 am
Last Updated on March 31 2023 11:03 am
Written by Greg Sapp
There are seven candidates for seats on the Effingham Unit 40 Board of Education in the Tuesday, April 4 election.
That includes four candidates for three seats on the Board in Township 8N Range 5E...Jane Willenborg, Jill Wendling, Andrew Altman and Cary Harper. Willenborg and Wendling are currently serving on the Board.
There are three candidates for two seats in Township 8N Range 6E...Desha Wear, Dallas Bear and Scott Volpi. Wear is currently serving on the Board.
JANE WILLENBORG--
Willenborg is the current school board secretary, is a precinct committeewoman, an Eastern Illinois Area Special Education board and the former Special Education co-chairman, is Effingham County Republican secretary, and is a member on committees at Sacred Heart Church. She and her husband Dennis have been married for 43 years, and they have four chiildren and seven grandchildren.
Willenborg lists drug use and discipline as the two chief items needing the Board's focus. She strongly encourages parental involvement, school safety training for students and staff, and suggested Town Hall meetings or making surveys available for district residents to share input.
JILL WENDLING--
Wendling is completing his first term on the Board. She is currently serving as board vice-president and has been conducting meetings in the absence of the president. She also feels her experience as an educator and a community business leader. She and her husband Steve have two children, Jackson and Meredith.
As to reasons for running for the Board, Wendling shared, "I have a passion and a heart for education! I am humbled and proud to represent our district as a sitting Board of Education member. I have a background as an educator and I know what it’s like to work in the classroom. I feel that I have the expertise and empathy to make decisions to do what’s best for kids. I appreciate the hard-working people in our district and I want to be a part of their successes. I played a part in the district’s strategic planning process. With the help of community leaders, parents, staff, students, and a few board members, we were able to adapt a new Strategic Plan which sets goals and vision for the next 3-5 years. I would like to remain a part of this Strategic Plan to make our dreams and vision a reality."
Asked for two key issues facing the Board, Wendling responded,
1. Like all business and governmental agencies, Unit 40 faces the same issue of a shrinking labor pool and rising labor costs. We will still strive to hire and retain the best of the best. We will continue to implement policies to attract new and experienced teachers and staff.
What are two major items to be addressed by the next school board?
- The recruitment and retention of motivated, compassionate, and competent administrators, teachers, and staff is the most urgent issue. Ultimately, our student’s achievement and enjoyment in their educational experience is significantly influenced by the quality of their contacts in their district. Currently, we have highly qualified employees leaving Unit #40. I would address this by ensuring the compensation and benefits are competitive with other school districts. I also believe there are other non-monetary things that can be done to ensure administrators, teachers and staff feel valued and heard.
- The security of the children in attendance at Unit #40. In the current climate, our children are facing potential threats from outside of the schools and, just as importantly, from within the schools. While the district has recently addressed many of the security issues (new surveillance systems, additional policies and procedures, yearly intruder training for all staff, there are several more in need of urgent attention.
Volpi was also asked why he's running for the school board? "I am a graduate of Effingham Unit 40 schools. I have chosen this community to raise my family. I have a vested interest in maintaining and improving the Unit 40 school system as all my children have graduated or are currently enrolled in Unit 40 schools. I believe I have a unique understanding of the challenges our district is facing. As Unit 40’s School Resource Officer, I communicate with hundreds of students, dozens of teachers, multiple administrators, and several staff members every day. Because of my active presence within all Unit 40 schools, I hear all the exceptional work the faculty does, I see the diverse talent of the students and I also hear many of the challenges each group is faced with which make me a highly qualified candidate for Effingham Unit 40 School Board. I appreciate your consideration."
DALLAS BEAR--
Experience and qualifications for serving on the School Board--"I am currently serving the people of Douglas 12 as their Precinct Committeeman. Additionally, my experience working with budgets in the State of Illinois and leading a church as a Pastor has equipped me with the skills to ensure efficient and effective operations while fostering collaboration and community engagement." He and his wife Lori are parents of four adult children.
Why am I running for School Board? "I am at a season in life where I have time to devote to this endeavor. I want to be a voice for parents because I believe there is an agenda from Springfield to diminish their influence. I also want to advocate for local control of our schools here in Unit 40."
What are two issues you think will face the School Board in the coming term? "I'm not sure what two issues will face our School Board, but it will probably have something to do with unfunded mandates from our State Legislature and the Governor. Springfield wants to regulate what we should teach our children without providing a revenue source for these mandates. My goal is to balance state standards with our district's resources to provide the best education for our students."