Sondgeroth to serve third term as ROE superintendent

STERLING – It’s a three-peat.

Robert “Bob” Sondgeroth, 61, of Rock Falls, won his third term Tuesday as superintendent of the Lee-Ogle-Whiteside Regional Office of Education, handily defeating fellow Republican Paul McMahon.

The vote was 3,441 to 1,516 in Whiteside County, 2,403 to 947 in Lee County, and 2,844 to 2,057 in Ogle County, in unofficial results.

“I’m very happy that I’m able to serve the voters and constituents of Whiteside, Lee and Ogle counties,” Sondgeroth said.

There is no Democratic challenger in the Nov. 6 general election.

Sondgeroth has 15 years of experience, as the Whiteside County ROE’s assistant regional superintendent for 7 years, its regional superintendent for 5 years, and superintendent of the merged Lee-Ogle-Whiteside ROE for the past 3 years.

He will serve
4 years.

“I’ve got great people that I’m working with and were going to be doing great things.” Sondgeroth said.

McMahon, 57, of Manlius, was Lee-Ogle’s assistant regional superintendent for 6 years and later its regional superintendent for 2 years.

The regional superintendent of schools is the ROE’s chief administrative officer, and the only elected education professional office in Illinois.

ROEs partner with the state Board of Education to support, supervise and advocate for local school districts, to advise administrators and teachers and aid in their certification and training, to act as a liaison between schools and various community groups and programs, and to work with at-risk students in an alternative school settings.

Among Sondgeroth’s goals are to continue to expand the ROE’s alternative school programs and the office’s Future Leaders Exchange program into Dixon and Sterling, and to work with fire departments to get them involved in more schools.

“Districts will face challenges with school funding, teacher licensure and school security,” he said recently. “I feel that I, as the experienced leader who has been there, needs to be the one who helps them through this challenging time.”

Go to roe47.org for more information on the Lee-Ogle-Whiteside ROE and its services.