Letter To The Editor: A Message From 'Top Four' Slate

A message to the Lemont High School District 210 community:

We are the “Top Four on April 4”—the slate of incumbent candidates who are running for reelection to the Lemont High School District 210 Board of Education. Our slate includes Renée Koehler, Pam Driscoll, Gary Gray and Beverly Marzec, and we are asking for your vote.

Ours are the top four names you will see on the ballot when you vote during early voting, by mail, or at your polling place on Tuesday, April 4. We also believe we are the top four candidates qualified to serve in the vital role as members of the Board of Education. We provide stability and experience, and our common goal is to ensure that Lemont High School delivers continued excellence.

Averaging 20 years of service to the Lemont High School community as board members, we are committed to addressing the complex issues that affect our district. Our combined experience provides historical context and strength in decision making which are key factors in our overall success.

Last fall, District 210 conducted a community survey in which 87 percent of respondents expressed a favorable opinion of Lemont High School. We happily share in the community’s pride. We four, and our other board colleagues, work tirelessly to ensure Lemont High School students are receiving a quality education and have the best resources available to them.

The success of our efforts is reflected in the achievements of our students in the classroom, in performance and in competition. The best part of our monthly meetings is when we get the opportunity to recognize our students, faculty, and staff for their accomplishments.

We take our oaths of office seriously and understand it is not the job of a school board to oversee daily operations. Our role is to provide governance so that Lemont High School lives up to its mission and helps all students become life-long learners and productive citizens in a rapidly changing world.

We know that one of the most important roles we have as the Board of Education is proper fiscal management. Spending the money of taxpayers, who are our friends and neighbors, is a tremendous responsibility. We are proud that Lemont High School has received “Financial Recognition” status from the Illinois State Board of Education nine of the last 10 years, and that our district has one of the lowest high school district tax rates in both Cook and DuPage counties.

One of many reasons Lemont High School is a high performing school on our watch is that we have very little administrative turnover and an excellent teacher retention rate. These factors contributed to Lemont High School winning six straight Chicago Tribune “Top Workplaces” Awards.

In the next five years, several of the school’s leadership team and teachers—many of whom serve as athletic coaches and activity sponsors—will be eligible for retirement. Attracting and hiring qualified talent who are committed to carrying on Lemont High School’s tradition of excellence is a great responsibility.

Lemont High School has its challenges ahead. Preparing students to be college and career ready is continually a pressing priority. Rigorous additional coursework must be introduced to the current offering to prepare students for future jobs that may not even exist yet.

We recognize opportunities for improvement with standardized test scores, and more than a year ago we challenged the administration and faculty to use multiple strategies to address specific gaps in learning in addition to the interventions they previously developed. In addition to reviewing annual attainment scores, we know that academic growth is another important measure of student performance. Regardless of performance level when entering Lemont High School, it is our expectation that each student will demonstrate expected academic growth. Subsequently, the Board continues to keep a close watch on academic progress.

We have also engaged community stakeholders as we plan necessary infrastructure updates and will continue prioritizing needs, developing plans for facility renovation projects, and managing their completion while never losing sight of our fiscal responsibilities.

None of the challenges we face are best met with obstructionism or efforts to divide our community into “us” and “them.” Conversely, the future is best met with careful planning, thoughtful consideration, and levelheaded leadership.

As you prepare to cast your ballot on April 4, please consider the key factors of stability, experience, and continued excellence. Please vote for the “Top Four on April 4.”

Thank you.
Renée Koehler – Pam Driscoll – Gary Gray – Beverly Marzec
Lemont High School District 210 Board of Education Incumbents

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