By Sally Pyne
Perhaps you are sick of hearing about elections, but please lend me your ears and consider YOUR service for just a moment. Monday was the deadline to file to run in the spring MUNICIPAL elections, however, nominating papers need to be filed at the McLean County Clerk’s office between December 12th and December 19th for school board elections. The forms needed are available on their web cite. While this applies to both District 87 and Unit 5, my concentration is on the Unit 5 election, as we will need to elect four seats, and it is very possible that three incumbents will not be running. For one, Gail Ann Briggs, who has served our schools for more than thirty years will not seek another term. This shift in leadership is crucial to maintaining our strong schools. If you think it’s only bussing, please don’t bother, single issue candidates need not apply. But if you are a person interested in service to your community through work as a school board member, you will need to get your papers together very quickly in order to run for election on April 4th. But you are not alone, I stand with an army of people that will be very willing to assist strong candidates with petition gathering. The good news? This election is non-partisan, as long as you are a U.S. citizen, a registered voter over the age of 18 & have lived in the district for at least a year you will qualify.
Especially needed are worthy candidates that do NOT live in Normal—you heard me right–election and seating on the Unit 5 School Board is at-large, but it is governed by residency and three of the six seats must be filled by people that do not live in Normal. In fact, only one person may be elected from the Normal Congressional Township.
Primary responsibilities of school board members are employing and directing the Superintendent, approving budget and curriculum. You need not have students in school at the present time, but parents are certainly welcome to serve. School Board members make up the largest body of elected officials in the United States. One of the most difficult parts of school governance is creating a string relationship with the public. An effective board knows and respects its community and encourages the community’s trust in its school system. In the heart of it all members of our school board must believe, unequivocally, in the value of public education. If you, or someone you know, could assist in this capacity PLEASE step forward to serve.
Dr. Sally Pyne is a retired educator who has lived in the Bloomington-Normal community all but 5 of her 50-plus years. She is married to Ed who is editor and publisher of the Normalite newspapers and they are parents of two grown daughters.
The opinions expressed within WJBC’s Forum are solely those of the Forum’s author, and are not necessarily those of WJBC or Cumulus Media, Inc.
