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Hamilton School Board candidates gear up for April 17 election
Jerrod Leffler is running for the Hamilton School Board for one of two seats inside Montebello Township.
Other candidates running for those two seats are incumbent Mark Menn and Dr. David Sadeghi. They were featured in the April 4 issue of the Daily Gate City.
Three Hamilton School Board seats expire in the fall. Outside of Montebello Township, the seat now held by Mark Turner is uncontested. Tom Schilson has filed to run for the seat.
Jerrod Leffler
Introduction: Jerrod Leffler is vice president, business banking at First Community Bank (primary occupation). He has been employed at FCB 1 1/2 years, with a total of more than 12 years in the banking and finance industry. Adjunct faculty for Hannibal-LaGrange College - five years and counting; Hamilton volunteer fireman - six years and counting.
He is a of Warsaw High School. College - undergrad, bachelor of science degree in business from Illinois College, Jacksonville; graduate degree, master of business administration from Western Illinois University, Macomb.
Wife, Michelle and four children, three are still in the Hamilton School system.
Purpose for running: To help ensure the community's views and perspectives are thoroughly represented and considered in deciding now, and in the future, what is best for our children, our schools and our local communities.
Do you want all high school sports co-oped three ways as Titans with Nauvoo-Colusa, Hamilton and Warsaw? Why or why not? Some sports? I favor a three-way sports co-op of Hamilton, Nauvoo-Colusa and Warsaw. This will encourage unity, school-spirit and competitive sports teams. This should also aid in easing tensions and laying a foundation for any future consolidation efforts.
Do you favor convergence, consolidation or another type of school district re-organization? If yes, with which district(s)? How soon? Why or why not? Discuss pros and cons of convergence and consolidation. Given our current situation, it appears that consolidation of our triad is inevitable and that convergence is not the answer. The speed with which this action is taken will be a direct result of the foresight, diligence and cooperation of the school districts. Our leaders must recognize the monumental task before them includes overcoming resistance to change. To ensure success, we must create and implement measurable, finite goals to be adhered to as closely as practical. It is never too soon to begin planning.
Is it time to move to an all-county, Hancock County high school? When is the time? An all-county school is impractical, given the geographic dispersion of our population and students.
Which better serves students, eight-block scheduling or six to seven periods of class each day? This is certainly a debatable question. I would like to see more public and student input on this topic. This will require educating all affected parties by providing results of past studies in order to come to a rational conclusion versus an emotional one. The success of either type of scheduling (and the ultimate success of the students) begins with motivated, capable and enthusiastic teachers.
Should more dual credit college classes be offered? What subjects? Dual credit college courses should be offered where they are practical and in subjects that lend themselves to transferable credit. Every effort should be made to ensure the integrity of the program and require that offerings will not only satisfy local college requirements, but possibly exceed them. This will need to be a coordinated effort to ensure our students are not placed at a disadvantage to others who take the class at a collegiate level.
Is the school district doing enough to prevent and/or punish bullying? If not, what else could be done? I believe that the district is handling this matter sufficiently, as I have not been made aware of any specific, egregious instances. Any situations involving bullying, theft or other similar matters must be dealt with swiftly and firmly.
Are the district's safety/crisis management plans adequate? Are students safe? What else should be done to improve safety? Safety and emergency plans are often given lip service and not the attention they deserve. I would guarantee that emergency and contingency plans and the associated training meet all appropriate standards to adequately protect the safety of our students and faculty.
What can be done to improve students' grades?
There is no more single important issue than that of students' academic achievement. I am growing more and more concerned with the level of academic achievement and ineligibility that plagues not only our school, but what appears to be that of all the surrounding communities. This has to be reversed. Any and all aspects of the educational process need to be examined to discover the source(s) of this dilemma.
Why are you a good candidate for the school board? I am a good candidate because I strongly care about the future and the success of our children, our schools and our communities. I have a proven track record in the business world for obtaining results. I plan on bringing this perspective and work ethic to our board.
Children in the school district: Dylan Diveney, fifth grade; Alayna Diveney, seventh grade; Devin Diveney, freshman; and Alexsis Diveney, graduate.
Tom Schilson
Introduction: Tom Schilson is a life-long resident of the Hamilton community and a graduate of the Hamilton School system. He graduated in 1989 from MacMurray College, Jacksonville, Ill., with a bachelor of science degree in biology.
He previously was employed by Sheller Globe/Schlegel/BTR in Keokuk. He is employed with Methode Electronics as the Golden, Ill., facility plant manager. He has been employed with Methode since 1993 and has held many positions: manufacturing engineer, supplier quality manager and engineering manager.
He holds several patents for innovative solution for manufacturing. He has had extensive training in waste reduction (lean manufacturing) problem-solving and decision making.
Schilson has been coaching kids' tackle football for the past four years and the kids' wrestling program for nine years - six years in Keokuk and the last three years with the West Hancock Titan Club.
Do you want all high school sports co-oped three ways as Titans with Nauvoo-Colusa, Hamilton and Warsaw? Why or why not? Some sports? I am in favor of cooping all high school sports. The participation is not where it needs to be and we need to eliminate the confusion for our kids and communities. Our children need an identity. We have kids that have lettered for all three schools, as Wildcats, Vikings and as Cardinals. What do these kids identify with?
All junior high / middle school sports? Why or why not? Some sports? Which ones? I would support co-op junior high sports if needed to keep a program. I believe in giving junior high/middle school students as many opportunities to grow as possible. We need to be careful about long bus trips with young students, which could be disruptive to academics.
Do you favor convergence, consolidation or another type of school district re-organization? If yes, with which district(s)? How soon? Why or why not? Discuss pros and cons of convergence and consolidation. I am in favor of consolidation with Nauvoo-Colusa and Warsaw. I would like to see consolidation within the next couple years. We need to give our kids and community an identity again. What is best for our kids? I believe we can provide a better environment with more opportunities for our kids academically, athletically and socially. I also believe this can be accomplished more cost effectively with consolidated resources.
Is it time to move to an all-county, Hancock County, high school? When is the time?
I do not believe it is time to move to an all county school. As our enrollments change this is something we will need to keep in mind in the future.
Which better serves students, eight-block scheduling or six to seven periods of class each day? I do not have an opinion at this time. I would need more time to research this to properly answer the question.
Should more dual credit college classes be offered? What subjects? I would like to see as many dual credit courses offered as possible, covering as many general requirements as possible. This gives students a jump-start into college and helps build confidence of students who might question continuing a higher education.
Is the school district doing enough to prevent and/or punish bullying? If not, what else could be done? No. I think the administration needs to listen to teachers and students, and then take consistent and appropriate actions. I would like to see more parental involvement through educational and informational sessions.
Are the district's safety/crisis management plans adequate? Are students safe? What else should be done to improve safety? The answer is difficult. There is never enough being done. Unfortunately due to budget and financial restriction there are limits. Our policies and procedures need to be constantly reviewed and updated to ensure we are doing everything reasonably possible. I believe we are doing what is reasonably possible at this time.
What can be done to improve students' grades? I believe that this is an area where we need more accountability. We need to review our measurability for student performance and take actions to improve. I do not believe there is enough communication and education with parents.
I think our eligibility policy needs to be reviewed and changed. I think kicking a student athlete off of the team is a poor policy. The coaches and the teams need to become more involved in helping an ineligible student athlete achieve the academics goals. Kicking student athletes off teams reduces the incentive for eligibility and they lose what should be a support structure. Practice for an ineligible student athlete should consist of open book study time and tutoring by teammates and coaches.
Why are you a good candidate for the school board? I bring a professional business background and years of experience working with kids to the board. I believe in a common sense approach and doing what is best for all our children.
Are your children attending school in the district? Give grade level for each child: I have three children in the district. They are in the sixth, eighth and 10th grades this year.
Other candidates running for those two seats are incumbent Mark Menn and Dr. David Sadeghi. They were featured in the April 4 issue of the Daily Gate City.
Three Hamilton School Board seats expire in the fall. Outside of Montebello Township, the seat now held by Mark Turner is uncontested. Tom Schilson has filed to run for the seat.
Jerrod Leffler
Introduction: Jerrod Leffler is vice president, business banking at First Community Bank (primary occupation). He has been employed at FCB 1 1/2 years, with a total of more than 12 years in the banking and finance industry. Adjunct faculty for Hannibal-LaGrange College - five years and counting; Hamilton volunteer fireman - six years and counting.
He is a of Warsaw High School. College - undergrad, bachelor of science degree in business from Illinois College, Jacksonville; graduate degree, master of business administration from Western Illinois University, Macomb.
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Purpose for running: To help ensure the community's views and perspectives are thoroughly represented and considered in deciding now, and in the future, what is best for our children, our schools and our local communities.
Do you want all high school sports co-oped three ways as Titans with Nauvoo-Colusa, Hamilton and Warsaw? Why or why not? Some sports? I favor a three-way sports co-op of Hamilton, Nauvoo-Colusa and Warsaw. This will encourage unity, school-spirit and competitive sports teams. This should also aid in easing tensions and laying a foundation for any future consolidation efforts.
Do you favor convergence, consolidation or another type of school district re-organization? If yes, with which district(s)? How soon? Why or why not? Discuss pros and cons of convergence and consolidation. Given our current situation, it appears that consolidation of our triad is inevitable and that convergence is not the answer. The speed with which this action is taken will be a direct result of the foresight, diligence and cooperation of the school districts. Our leaders must recognize the monumental task before them includes overcoming resistance to change. To ensure success, we must create and implement measurable, finite goals to be adhered to as closely as practical. It is never too soon to begin planning.
Is it time to move to an all-county, Hancock County high school? When is the time? An all-county school is impractical, given the geographic dispersion of our population and students.
Which better serves students, eight-block scheduling or six to seven periods of class each day? This is certainly a debatable question. I would like to see more public and student input on this topic. This will require educating all affected parties by providing results of past studies in order to come to a rational conclusion versus an emotional one. The success of either type of scheduling (and the ultimate success of the students) begins with motivated, capable and enthusiastic teachers.
Should more dual credit college classes be offered? What subjects? Dual credit college courses should be offered where they are practical and in subjects that lend themselves to transferable credit. Every effort should be made to ensure the integrity of the program and require that offerings will not only satisfy local college requirements, but possibly exceed them. This will need to be a coordinated effort to ensure our students are not placed at a disadvantage to others who take the class at a collegiate level.
Is the school district doing enough to prevent and/or punish bullying? If not, what else could be done? I believe that the district is handling this matter sufficiently, as I have not been made aware of any specific, egregious instances. Any situations involving bullying, theft or other similar matters must be dealt with swiftly and firmly.
Are the district's safety/crisis management plans adequate? Are students safe? What else should be done to improve safety? Safety and emergency plans are often given lip service and not the attention they deserve. I would guarantee that emergency and contingency plans and the associated training meet all appropriate standards to adequately protect the safety of our students and faculty.
What can be done to improve students' grades?
There is no more single important issue than that of students' academic achievement. I am growing more and more concerned with the level of academic achievement and ineligibility that plagues not only our school, but what appears to be that of all the surrounding communities. This has to be reversed. Any and all aspects of the educational process need to be examined to discover the source(s) of this dilemma.
Why are you a good candidate for the school board? I am a good candidate because I strongly care about the future and the success of our children, our schools and our communities. I have a proven track record in the business world for obtaining results. I plan on bringing this perspective and work ethic to our board.
Children in the school district: Dylan Diveney, fifth grade; Alayna Diveney, seventh grade; Devin Diveney, freshman; and Alexsis Diveney, graduate.
Tom Schilson
Introduction: Tom Schilson is a life-long resident of the Hamilton community and a graduate of the Hamilton School system. He graduated in 1989 from MacMurray College, Jacksonville, Ill., with a bachelor of science degree in biology.
He previously was employed by Sheller Globe/Schlegel/BTR in Keokuk. He is employed with Methode Electronics as the Golden, Ill., facility plant manager. He has been employed with Methode since 1993 and has held many positions: manufacturing engineer, supplier quality manager and engineering manager.
He holds several patents for innovative solution for manufacturing. He has had extensive training in waste reduction (lean manufacturing) problem-solving and decision making.
Schilson has been coaching kids' tackle football for the past four years and the kids' wrestling program for nine years - six years in Keokuk and the last three years with the West Hancock Titan Club.
Do you want all high school sports co-oped three ways as Titans with Nauvoo-Colusa, Hamilton and Warsaw? Why or why not? Some sports? I am in favor of cooping all high school sports. The participation is not where it needs to be and we need to eliminate the confusion for our kids and communities. Our children need an identity. We have kids that have lettered for all three schools, as Wildcats, Vikings and as Cardinals. What do these kids identify with?
All junior high / middle school sports? Why or why not? Some sports? Which ones? I would support co-op junior high sports if needed to keep a program. I believe in giving junior high/middle school students as many opportunities to grow as possible. We need to be careful about long bus trips with young students, which could be disruptive to academics.
Do you favor convergence, consolidation or another type of school district re-organization? If yes, with which district(s)? How soon? Why or why not? Discuss pros and cons of convergence and consolidation. I am in favor of consolidation with Nauvoo-Colusa and Warsaw. I would like to see consolidation within the next couple years. We need to give our kids and community an identity again. What is best for our kids? I believe we can provide a better environment with more opportunities for our kids academically, athletically and socially. I also believe this can be accomplished more cost effectively with consolidated resources.
Is it time to move to an all-county, Hancock County, high school? When is the time?
I do not believe it is time to move to an all county school. As our enrollments change this is something we will need to keep in mind in the future.
Which better serves students, eight-block scheduling or six to seven periods of class each day? I do not have an opinion at this time. I would need more time to research this to properly answer the question.
Should more dual credit college classes be offered? What subjects? I would like to see as many dual credit courses offered as possible, covering as many general requirements as possible. This gives students a jump-start into college and helps build confidence of students who might question continuing a higher education.
Is the school district doing enough to prevent and/or punish bullying? If not, what else could be done? No. I think the administration needs to listen to teachers and students, and then take consistent and appropriate actions. I would like to see more parental involvement through educational and informational sessions.
Are the district's safety/crisis management plans adequate? Are students safe? What else should be done to improve safety? The answer is difficult. There is never enough being done. Unfortunately due to budget and financial restriction there are limits. Our policies and procedures need to be constantly reviewed and updated to ensure we are doing everything reasonably possible. I believe we are doing what is reasonably possible at this time.
What can be done to improve students' grades? I believe that this is an area where we need more accountability. We need to review our measurability for student performance and take actions to improve. I do not believe there is enough communication and education with parents.
I think our eligibility policy needs to be reviewed and changed. I think kicking a student athlete off of the team is a poor policy. The coaches and the teams need to become more involved in helping an ineligible student athlete achieve the academics goals. Kicking student athletes off teams reduces the incentive for eligibility and they lose what should be a support structure. Practice for an ineligible student athlete should consist of open book study time and tutoring by teammates and coaches.
Why are you a good candidate for the school board? I bring a professional business background and years of experience working with kids to the board. I believe in a common sense approach and doing what is best for all our children.
Are your children attending school in the district? Give grade level for each child: I have three children in the district. They are in the sixth, eighth and 10th grades this year.
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