Whiteside District 115 board member

Diane Allen

Shiloh

Age: 48

Job: Operations Research Analyst

Phone: 618-233-4259

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Email: None provided

Education: MS, Industrial Engineering, Mississippi State University; BS, Mathematical Sciences, US Air Force Academy

Previous offices: Whiteside School Board Member 2009-2013

Qualifications: I have learned a lot in my past four years serving on the school board. Previously, I served 20 years in the Air Force in a variety of jobs and leadership positions which provide a broad base of experience. In addition, living in many diverse parts of the country has exposed me to ideas from other states' school districts.

Top issues: In this economic climate, it is more important than ever to balance the need to provide a high quality education with the need to be responsible to the taxpayers. I will strive to work within budgetary means while continuing to provide the best educational opportunities for the students. In any decision, I will listen to the arguments of all sides and carefully weigh what is in the best interest of all involved, giving due consideration to students, family, teachers, administration and the community.

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Whiteside District 115 board member

Louis Netemeyer

Belleville

Age: 66

Job: Retired CPA

Phone: 618-235-0487

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Email: LOUISNETEMEYER@ATT.NET

Education: Bachelors degree in Accounting

Previous offices: School board Secretary

Qualifications: I am a retired certified public accountant with over forty years of general and school finance experience. iIhave prepared and managed the budgets of a number of public and private enterprices during my career as a public accountant. I have lived in the district for 35 years and all four of my children graduated from Whiteside.

Top issues: The biggest challenge facing the district are the cuts the state of Illinois has been implementing in school funding. Those cuts will continue into the future and the district will have to make changes to spending levels if it is to operate efficiently. There is currently no one on the current board or in any administrative positions with any advanced finance experience or training. The district is faced with a number of extremely difficult decisions in the near future which will require a high level of financial expertise if the financial challenges are to be addressed without an increase to the district tax rate. Another of the challenges facing the district is balancing the budget without impacting the quality of the education. The Whiteside School District has one of the lowest tax rates in the county and my goal is to make sure that those rates remain stable and that the district operates with a balanced budget.

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Whiteside District 115 board member

Tim Mueller

Belleville

Age: 41

Job: Sales

Phone: 618-624-5942

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Email: None provided

Education: BA in Social Sciences for Secondary Education

Previous offices: Currently serving a two-year term on the Whiteside School Board

Qualifications: Through my six years as an educator in the O' Fallon 90 School District and my 13 years of business experience, I bring both a passion for providing a quality education for the children at Whiteside while maintaining a fiscally responsible budget. I also am a father of two. I continue to be impressed with the quality education provided by such a dedicated and passionate faculty and staff. With the uncertainty of funding over the past few years that all schools are facing, my priority is to continue to support the efforts to keep the district financially stable while maintaining the high quality standard of education for the children of Whiteside School.

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Whiteside School District 115 board member

Charles McKee

Belleville

Age: 45

Job:

Phone: 618-222-6822

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Email: None provided

Education: Bachelor of Science in Business Administration

Previous offices: Whiteside School Board

Qualifications: Currently I serve as a Whiteside school board member and have two children attending the middle school. My business experience, accumulated over the past 20 years, has helped me understand and participate in addressing the issues facing our district. These issues have included budgeting, contract negotiations, staffing and the handling of administrative process/policy. Over the past four years I have regularly attended board meetings as well as school and community events. Additionally, I have been active with various board committees responsible for the direction and success of district goals and objectives. I have been an advocate for the responsible utilization of district resources to improve student achievement. I support a cooperative approach in working with other board members, school administration and the excellent teaching staff.

Top issues: The challenges facing our school board are the same for boards across the state. We must ensure that the required instruction and curriculum are in place to guarantee Whiteside students are receiving a quality education. At the same time we must ensure there is responsible leadership and decision making to drive the cost-effective operation of the district.

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Whiteside School District 115 board member

Kelly West

Belleville

Age: 40

Job: Principal

Phone: None provided

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Email: None provided

Education: Bachelor of Arts, Master in Curriculum & Instruction - SIU-Carbondale, Administration and Education Specialist - Lindenwood University

Previous offices: Board member, appointed in 2007.

Qualifications: I have successfully served as a Whiteside School Board member since my appointment in 2007. My husband and I are graduates of Whiteside and Belleville East High School. Our two children have attended Whiteside since kindergarten. Both of our children have greatly benefited from the outstanding teachers, staff, administration, curriculum, instruction and supplemental programs. As an educator for more than 17 years and a current administrator for the past seven years, my experiences and understanding of the multi-faceted changes in education have aligned with the district's mission and vision for its school community. I feel I have been a vested stakeholder and value the success and hard work that occurs within the Whiteside School community. I currently serve as the Vice-President of the School Board and have also negotiated in the last collective bargaining agreement with the WFT and have served on the discipline and building and grounds committees.

Top issues: I feel that my occupation and educational background have given me an opportunity to provide a substantial understanding about the many changes that are facing education and schools today (No Child Left Behind, Common Core Standards, P.E.R.A., Senate Bill 7 and the upcoming P.A.R.C.C. assessments). Throughout my term on the board, I have been committed to ensuring fiscal responsibility for the taxpayers, in addition to providing quality programs for all of our students and will continue to do so if elected for another term.