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ROCKFORD - Juniors from Parkway High School's civics class asked hard-hitting questions to prospective school board members during a meet-the-candidate night on Tuesday evening.
Four candidates are running for two seats on the board. Incumbent Tara Patterson is seeking reelection. Newcomers Amanda Peel, Bryan Schoenleben and Christopher Wood are also vying for a seat. Board member Talon Bates is not seeking reelection.
Junior class representatives posed 10 questions to the candidates, taken from a list of 64 questions submitted by students from Lucus Minnich's civics class. Candidates were questioned on issues ranging from school lunches to controversial issues such as gender-neutral bathrooms and curriculum requirements.
Candidates are shown in alphabetical order.
Patterson, 44, is a design consultant at Kore Construction in Rockford. She has been a school board member for four years.
Patterson is a 1997 graduate of Parkway Local Schools. She lives with her husband and has three children, one of whom graduated from Parkway in 2015 and two still in school.
In her opening statement, Patterson said she wants to improve staff and student morale and ensure students are provided the best education in a healthy environment. She said she also wants to improve transparency from the school board and administrators.
Patterson highlighted her service with the Salvation Army Angel Tree Program, which collects new clothing and toys from communities to give back to families in need during Christmas.
Regarding school safety, she called attention to the recent hiring of former Rockford police chief Paul May as the district's school resource officer, as well as the installation of safety barricades at school entrances.
Patterson noted there has been an increase in the number of students using the district's special needs units, highlighting that teachers and aides were hired to meet those needs during her time as a board member.
"There are two things that I am certain of: Our teachers and staff will always rise to the occasion to meet these needs, and the allocation of funds for our students' academic success will always be a top priority for me," she said.
Questioned on national controversies such as gender neutral bathrooms and school curriculum that includes diversity, equity and inclusion, Patterson noted the district has numerous single-stall restrooms that students can use if they feel uncomfortable. She said critical race theory, or CRT, is a subject best left to higher education institutions rather than K-12 schools.
Patterson also said she wants more transparency from the board, including pushing for more open dialogue in public meetings rather than closed-door executive sessions.
Peel, 31, is an accounting supervisor at Central Insurance. A 2010 Parkway graduate, Peel lives in Rockford with her husband and three children. She has two children in the school system and a third who will start next school year.
"I feel that being on the school board would be my way to give back to school," she said. "I believe that on the school board that all decision makers need to be balanced … everyone needs to be listened to before rash decisions are made."
Peel received her bachelor's degree in accounting and a master's degree in business administration. Peel is the Rockford Chamber of Commerce treasurer and said she believes a strong business community can help support a strong school and vice versa. She said she also believes there needs to be full transparency in the district.
She said her goals include building a strong culture among students, staff, administrators and board members to allow for a positive learning environment for students. She said she also wants the community to trust that board members are making decisions in the community's best interest.
Growing up with a law enforcement officer in her family, Peel said school safety is paramount and added she was relieved when an SRO was hired. She said she would like to hear from the community about their concerns or suggestions for improvements.
Peel said she agreed with single-use restrooms for students and said she did not see the need for separate curriculum dedication to diversity, equity and inclusion when those should be integrated into schoolwork.
"For example, when you're learning about the civil rights, you automatically start learning also about the diversity, equity, the inclusion, so I feel those elements should just be carried over naturally in the lessons that the students are already learning instead of focusing on curriculum," she said.
Schoenleben, 52, is a lifelong Rockford resident and 1990 graduate of Parkway. He and his wife have three children who have graduated from Parkway and a daughter who is a sophomore.
Schoenleben is an equipment operator at the Mercer County Engineer's Office. He has been involved in Parkway sports programs for several years, and he has also served on the park board.
Although running for a seat on the school board is out of his comfort zone, Schoenleben said he wants to challenge himself and give back to his community.
"And I think that's what we need on the board, step out of our zone a little bit, look and see what's best for Parkway," he said. "And my opinion, I think if we're not here to make Parkway the best it can be, we're not doing something right."
Schoenleben said safety is a leading concern, adding the hiring of an SRO is a step in the right direction. He suggested routine door checks to ensure all doors are locked and potentially look into barricades, as well as training for both staff and students. Patterson noted the district does train students and staff and routine checks are made.
Regarding controversial issues, Schoenleben said he believes the district does a good job of teaching curriculum and he didn't see a need for any major changes.
"Of course we have to be willing to change and move with the times, and if that's what we need to do it'd be something I'd be willing to talk about it," he said.
He also agreed that single-stall bathrooms are a good solution for the district.
Schoenleben said he believes "being honest, straight-forward and being able to fight for what you believe is right and to not be afraid to listen" are qualities that would make him a good school board candidate.
"I believe that if we come together we can work those things out and in the end we're doing what's best for the Parkway district," he said. "I'll be here and I'll do my best."
Wood, 32, is a 2009 Parkway graduate and Mendon resident. He received his bachelor's degree from Otterbein University and a master's degree in higher education administration from the Ohio State University.
Wood is math teacher at Celina City Schools and is a church youth group leader at Mendon United Methodist Church, soon to be Mendon Community Church in November. He said he believes having a connection to today's youths is important to have on the school board. He said two of his biggest goals are improved transparency and morale.
Wood said he supports the district's decision to have an SRO. He said comparing safety strategies and practices with other area school districts would be a good way to get benchmarks on how the district is performing.
He also suggested teaching a "see something, say something" mentality among students, adding that an anonymous reporting system for students, if legal, could encourage them to come forward.
Speaking on controversial issues, Wood said that as a teacher he wanted to assuage any worries of teachers "indoctrinating" students.
"We're just trying to teach them to be decent human beings and to succeed in the world after high school," he said. "So if there are curricular concerns, a lot those are mandated by the state."
He also agreed that single-use bathroom stalls are a good solution for the school district.
Wood said he wanted to improve transparency in the district. He said more information should be available to the public at school board meetings.
"The board is all aware of everything happening in the buildings, but as a community member hearing that 'I sent my update via email' doesn't really tell me a ton," he said.
"And with district morale, I'll be honest. I teach in another district, and whether this should be the case or not, Parkway is not currently a district that is (viewed as) really positive to work at," he continued. "I went here and I love the teachers that I had, and I would love to help build a more positive community for the teachers that then in turn make the students' experience better."
