Slate of union-backed candidates could shape Crystal Lake-based Community High School District 155 policy

CRYSTAL LAKE – A slate of three union-backed candidates could help shape policies in Community High School District 155 for years to come.

Last week, voters picked Ron Ludwig, Nicole Pavoris and Jason Blake – along with incumbent David Secrest – to fill four openings on the district’s seven-member board. Ludwig, Pavoris and Blake ran together on a slate supported by the political arm of the District 155 Education Association, the union that represents district employees, including teachers.

Secrest, who has been on the board for 16 years, was elected to a fifth four-year term.

In a crowded field of nine candidates competing in a high-interest race, the union slate came out on top. A slate of four candidates who vowed to cut property taxes – Donna Kurtz, John Pletz, Raphael Kamner and Scott Vetter – failed to capture a single seat on the board. The other incumbent in the race, Ann Somers, ended Tuesday with the fewest votes, 2,633, or 6.67 percent of the 39,461 ballots cast in the contest, according to unofficial election results.

Ludwig – a 53-year-old teacher of science, technology, engineering and mathematics curriculum at South Elementary School in Crystal Lake School District 47 – was the top vote-getter, finishing Tuesday with 6,036 votes, or 15.3 percent of the total.

Ludwig has been with District 47 for 27 years, including 18 years as principal of Hannah Beardsley Middle School.

He said Tuesday’s election shows that voters don’t want lower taxes if it would hurt schools.

“People with a vested interest – whether it be kids or grandkids – recognize the importance of schools as far as their property values go,” he said. “They came out and voted and said, ‘We have a darn good school district.’ ”

Pavoris, 46, of Cary is a U.S. history and economics teacher at Larkin High School in Elgin. She wants to see the district put more emphasis on career-readiness over Advanced Placement courses. She said she wants the district to offer classes specifically targeted at students who want to become nurses.

She said Tuesday’s election confirmed that voters want strong schools.

“People realized it,” she said. “They want to put schools first.”

Blake, 45, of Crystal Lake said he’ll bring his financial experience to the board. He works as a chief financial officer for a trade association. Blake also said he believes the board’s role is to hold the administration accountable.

Although he was supported by the union, Blake said he’s already told the union to expect some disagreement.

“I told them I don’t think we’ll see eye to eye on everything,” he said.

Secrest, 72, will be the longest-serving member when the new board is sworn in. He said he will bring continuity and experience to the board. He said it took him at least four years to learn the complexities of school code and funding issues when he first joined.

Secrest said he was pleased with the results of the election.

“Voters rejected the notion to cut taxes at any cost,” he said. “No one wants higher taxes, but people understand there is a cost involved in having good schools.”

Devin Hester, president of the District 155 Education Association, said the union first endorsed school board candidates in the 2015 election. At that time, it was clear the community was ready for a change in leadership after a protracted battle over the construction of bleachers at Crystal Lake South High School. Hester said the union’s goal was to find candidates who shared the same values as its members.

“We have a vested interest in the long-term health of the district,” he said. “No one has more to lose than us.”

He said the union expects all school board members to listen and make decisions with academic excellence and fiscal responsibility in mind.

Both Blake and Ludwig said they have family members who are employed by the district. Both said they would recuse themselves from decisions involving family.

District 155 oversees Crystal Lake Central, Crystal Lake South, Prairie Ridge and Cary-Grove high schools. It also is responsible for the alternative programs at the Haber Oaks campus in Cary. All told, it serves 6,500 students taught by 376 teachers with an annual budget of about $97 million.