This article was published in the March 24 edition of the Woodford Journal by Julia Voss and is being re-published here with the permission of the Woodford Journal.  We thank them for their permission.

Tammi Coons
Coons, 39, a Director of Hospital and Community Education who is from Dana is running for Fieldcrest Board of Education the first time.
"Fieldcrest  is a vital part of the towns," she said. "We need a school with better financial stability that can still provide a top-notch education."
Coons said her management background and personal leadership skills gained being the Director of Hospital and community Education at the Community Hospital of Ottowa, makes her a good candidate.
Coons said a balanced budget is the key to Fieldcrest¹s future.
"At the February school board meeting, a motion passed to have fifth grades attend West," she said. "Changing ideas and concepts will assist in the financial need."
Coons said that district reconfiguration needs to address financial issues and educational needs.
"The future board will have to look at the united fifth grades next year and analyze the outcome," she said.
Coons said that combining the fifth grades was a "step in the right direction." She said that needed changes may upset parents, but the students will benefit when Fieldcrest is financially sound.
Coons will have four daughters attending four different school units in three towns next year. One daughter will be in the fifth grade.
"I will be living through this small change," said Coons.  "Change is inevitable and Fieldcrest needs to change with its current needs."
"A positive attitude will help with these changes," she said.

Tim McNamara
McNamara, 50, a farmer who is from Dana, has served on the Fieldcrest Board of Education for eight years.
McNamara is running for office because he wants to help Fieldcrest out of its "tough times," and bring it back to being a financially strong and educationally sound institution.
McNamara said he would be strong at addressing Fieldcrest¹s financial issues. He feels the school should try to save money anywhere possible.
"Some expenses are inevitable, but the school will have to cut back on expenses until a referendum passes and then live within its means," he said.
McNamara states that his position has always been in favor of  "redoing the configuration" of the district.
"When community members, board members and administrators proposed a configuration that would keep K-4 grades in each town, 5-6 grades in Toluca and 7-8 grades in Wenona, I felt this was at least a start," said McNamara.
He said any money saved would make a stronger district. He also said that although the general public may not be in favor of the chosen configuration, the board needs to balance the budget.
"It is just sad that we can¹t be offering our students more educational challenges," said McNamara, "rather than always saying we don¹t have the money for programs."

Heidi Cook
Cook, 43, a registered nurse at Oncology Hematology Associates of Central Illinois and Wenona Health Center who is from Toluca, is running for the Fieldcrest Board of Education for the first time.
She is running for this office because she feels she has gained a great amount of knowledge serving the Fieldcrest community in several positions includingVice President of the Citizens¹ Advisory Committee, Treasurer of the Fieldcrest Athletic Boosters and as a member of the Fieldcrest Curriculum Committee.
She feels this knowledge will help her direct the Fieldcrest school district in a manner that will ensure its students the best possible education.
Her budgeting philosophy is "you can¹t spend more money than what your income is." She feels Fieldcrest needs to make cost cuts in appropriate areas, generate more income where possible and have a more detailed monitoring of its spending.
Cook believes the district needs to reorganize. She said with knowledge gained from a new administration and a new school board, the district can reach a reconfiguration plan that will benefit the students and the district.

Gary Wolf
Wolf, 40, an associate for Mitsubishi Motors and Curb-a-Lawn business owner who is from Minonk, is running for the Fieldcrest Board of Education for the first time.
He is running because he believes Fieldcrest students deserve more out of their education than they are receiving. He believes Fieldcrest could be the best district in Central Illinois but "instead we settle for excuses and second best."
"We need new leadership and I am here to offer that leadership," he said.
Wolf said living 10 years away from Fieldcrest, has allowed him to see things with a unique perspective.
"We lived in the Dee-Mack school district and never had the divisions like they exist here," he said. "We need to complete this consolidation now," he said.
"How can we have curriculums that are aligned when teachers have no idea what is going on in the other parts of the district," Wolf asked.
Wolf said that the appearance of Fieldcrest¹s balanced budget has come at a huge cost.
"The cuts that were made to balance the budget will start showing up in lower test scores over the next 5 years," he said.
Wolf said the district needs to pass a referendum, however he is not in favor of passing a referendum until the district makes changes.
Wolf said the district should articulate a plan that includes consolidating the junior high schools, lowering the cost of sports programs and identifying the best curriculum for the students.
"With these changes in place, I will wholeheartedly support a responsibly referendum," said Wolf.
Wolf supports consolidation junior high schools in Fieldcrest. He is not in favor of closing South and feels each town should have its own grade school.
"Consolidating junior high schools will go a long way toward saving money," said Wolf, "will be more efficient and effective and will guide the communities toward a common goal."
Wolf said that he has seen a division in the school board since attending most board meetings in the passed two years.
"We need to pull together for the kids and get them the best education possible," said Wolf.

Scott Hillenburg
Hillenburg, 43, a service quality control specialist for Jim McComb Chevrolet from Minonk, is running for Fieldcrest Board of Education.
He is running because the school district offers less for today¹s students than it did when he was in school.
Hillenburg feels the school district is a business and district should have a long-term plan. It also needs to adapt to change, he said.
"Business decisions cannot take 18 months," said Hillenburg. "The decisions made should be what is best for all the kids, not just at the special interests of some."
In order to balance the budget, the district needs to increase revenues, said Hillenburg.
"A tax referendum is one way, but we also need to add revenue from working with the city council¹s of our district," said Hillenburg, "and try to bring in businesses or develop other means of income."
Regarding district reconfiguration, Hillenburg said public preference should have a strong influence on a board¹s decision.
"Attendance centers would be the most efficient way to run a school," said Hillenburg, "but that would mean bussing K­second graders ,² he said."³Most people don¹t want to bus their young children, which makes combining junior high schools the best solution."
Hillenburg  notes, the only way the district will gain the revenue needed is if the entire Fieldcrest community works together. The leaders of the community must be up front, honest and inform the public, he said. Once public support is gained, it will support the district with a referendum, he said.
"It is time to give back grade school P.E., art instructors and the other lost classes," said Hillenburg.


Tom Barth
Barth, 39, a production analyst for SMF who is from Minonk, has served the Fieldcrest Board of Education for eight years. He has served on the Building and Ground Committee. Other political offices he has held include Trustee for Minonk Fire Protection District for six years.
Barth is running for the board to help insure Fieldcrest¹s children are getting the best education they can get and to help make the district a place people can believe in.
Because he has been on the board for eight years, he feels he knows the way things work in the district.
"I also have kids spread throughout the district so I have a good idea on what is going on in the buildings," he said.
Regarding district reorganization, Barth feels the school needs to stay course regarding expenditures. He said attendance centers are a step in the right direction.
"I am totally for the attendance centers," he said. "The kids will stay together K-12, not be split up after fourth grade. Also, collaboration among teachers will be easier with attendance centers and, it will help with cost savings."
Barth said he would like the Fieldcrest School District to be a school that surrounding districts can look at as a good example of a well-run district.
"I realize it is going to take some time," he said, ³but with the right people, I feel we can get it done."

Eric Schultz
Schultz, 37, a consultant for Keane, Inc. who is from Minonk is running for the Fieldcrest Board of Education for the first time.
His reason for running is to make sure the children of the Fieldcrest District are given the best education possible as well as the opportunities a good education will give them later in life. He feels the district is making some positive changes and wants to play a part in its progress.
Although his children have always attended Fieldcrest, Schultz is not originally from a town within the district. He feels this will allow him to make an unbiased decision regarding what is best for the entire district.
Regarding his budgeting philosophy, Schultz said, "the simple answer is don¹t spend what you don¹t have," however maintains the simple answer is not always the easiest when dealing with children¹s education.  Fieldcrest¹s towns should work together as they are in a "great location with a tremendous amount of traffic," he said.
Schultz said he would like to see Fieldcrest become a truly consolidated district, which he feels, will begin with the reconfiguration of its junior high schools without sacrificing education.
He feels it is financially viable that each town should continue to have a grade school.
"If each town has a grade school, it will make the Fieldcrest School District and the towns stronger," said Schultz.
However, Schultz said before deciding on a configuration, a long-range plan needs to be in place.
"The next few years may be stressful for everyone involved,² said Schultz, ³but in order to be a school district that will attract new families, we need to make these tough decisions now and move on."

Jeff Geringer
Jeff Geringer, 39, has been a teacher in the Blomington school system for 11 years and is running for the Fieldcrest Board of Education for the second time.
Fieldcrest needs leadership with vision of the future and a long-range plan to recover from its financial crisis, he said.
"I¹d like to serve Fieldcrest to try to get something done," said Geringer. "In a recent meeting a board member summed it up by saying, "we don¹t have a long range plan.  I¹d like to change that."
Although he has no interest in micromanaging Fieldcrest, his experience as an educator, M.S. in Educational Administration and administrative experience gives him insight into school operations, he said.
Fieldcrest has made cuts to program and staff to address its budget woes and further cuts will be difficult to find, he said. Geringer said that the district should align itself in a way that makes sense.
"t makes little sense to duplicate services with two middle schools," he said.
Referring to the recently failed tax referenda, he said voters recognize the financial strain the district is feeling but have lost confidence in the board.
Geringer is against closing any of the grade schools. He said that the financial long-term implications of closing a grade school would harm the communities as well as the district. He said consolidating middle schools would be "a step in the right direction."
Geringer is concerned with Fieldcrest¹s current fee schedule and "the fact that the Fieldcrest School board has deflected criticism from themselves and allowed well-intentioned citizens to bear the heat."
"The board relegated their elected authority to levy fees to a group of people that have no authority to do so, then allowed them to become scapegoats," he said.

Patrick McGuane
McGuane, 42, a State Farm Insurance systems manager who is Minonk is running for the Fieldcrest Board of Education for the first time.
He said a board position seems like a natural fit for him because he is responsible for overcoming and solving challenges that are similar to the district¹s during his everyday work as an IT manager. These challenges include consensus building, expense management, and team building and problem solving.
McGuane advocates fiscally and educationally responsibly decisions, a strong team, and aggressively tackling short and long-term issues needs of the district.
McGuane said he is result oriented and a team player. He is excited about helping Fieldcrest students receive a high-quality education.
"I feel confident that I bring the right blend of leadership, experiences, interest and energy required to move us into the future," said McGuane.
Despite inevitable challenges and frustrations, he is willing and excited about the opportunity to serve the community and its children.
McGuane said the district must provide a quality education for its children and develop a realistic, factual and well thought financial strategy to resolve its financial troubles.
He is in favor of attendance centers because they will provide educational and social benefit to the students. He does not believe attendance centers will provide substantial long-term savings. He also said the number of sections and classes per grade need to be flexible to accommodate the population differences within each grade.
McGuane said the school system is no longer capable of providing students with the minimum skills needed to successfully go directly into the workplace or four-year college. He feels the school system and the way it educates children must change to keep pace with the rest of the world.

Linda Regnier, a State Farm Insurance systems manager from Minonk is running for the Fieldcrest Board of Education for the first time.
She is running because she believes a quality education is a critical factor in adult life and children need to be prepared to enter the workforce competitively.
Her degrees in Computer Science and Administrative Office Management as well as the responsibilities she takes on at State Farm, provide her with the skills to build a strong leadership for the school district, she said.
Regnier said the district must collect more income and spend more wisely while keeping in mind the quality of education delivered to its students. The board must prioritize services and opportunities while lending themselves to improving education, she said.
She feels participation fees are a fair way to spread the costs of extra-curricular activities among students who are involved in programs.
Advantages of attendance centers include standardized curriculum and increase collaboration among teachers for each grade, she said.
Referring to reorganizing the district, Regnier said that the district should to analyze its data and incorporate it into a short and long-term plan for the district. However, she feels no plan will be perfect and the board must maximize the advantages and minimize the disadvantages while district as a whole.
Regnier sees a positive future for Fieldcrest, if it works hard.
"We must view change in a positive perspective and foresee the money opportunities it will bring to the district," said Regnier.