New School Board, New Priorities For Orland Dist. 135

ORLAND PARK, IL — With two new board members and the return of a respected incumbent, Orland voters marked a season of change Tuesday for School District 135.

Voters brought back Linda Peckham-Dodge for a second term and replaced longtime board member Gregory Okon with Dave Shalabi and Tara Schreiber, both of whom won with a razor-thin margins. Shalabi had served on the board in the past. This is Schreiber's first run for office.

"I think it’ll be good," Peckham-Dodge said about the upcoming year.

Newly elected members will be sworn in April 29 and officers will be elected as part of the board reorganization practice.

The results from this year's election turned on the hot-button issue of the district's budget troubles. Okon in particular had been under fire for the board's controversial cuts earlier this year and a later reversal of them.

Candidates competing for the board's three open seats promised transparency, collaboration with the community, and willingness to revisit curriculum practices to ensure high-quality education as well as cost-saving measures.

Through the budget discussions, new issues emerged that likely will become priorities for this year.

First, the board is expected to bring back the practice of community-based committees, patterned after District 230's structure.

From there, finding a remedy for the $3 million-deficit will be the board's top priority. However, the board also likely will form committees to study technology use in the classroom to help understand what is a healthy and effective amount to integrate into student learning.

"That's a reasonable question," Peckham-Dodge said. "This is all new to most districts, so what is too much... no one rally knows at this point."

Another committee that may be formed will look at alternative funding sources, such as grants. The district does not employ a grant writer and parents have expressed interest in locating funding streams Orland would qualify for.

However, Peckham-Dodge said, the final committees and topics will be selected with parental input.