Meet the Genoa school board candidates

GENOA – Some seeking seats on Genoa-Kingston School District 424 school board recently told prospective voters they’d like to hold parents more responsible for their students' behavior.

When asked about their goals if elected, two school board candidates advocated for the district to better engage parents in their child’s education. Candidates spoke at a forum Feb. 3 hosted by the Genoa-Kingston Education Association on Feb. 3.

Five are running to fill four full-term seats on the Genoa-Kingston school board: Dean Gudeman, David Cleveland, Max Jake Wesner, Amber Eberly and Aidan Simmons. Matt Krueg is running as a write-in candidate.

Former board of education member David Cleveland, 55, who is again running for the elected position, said he wants the district to have more options for reprimanding parents.

“The other thing I would like to bring on, how we can hold parents responsible and accountable for their kids' behavior in school,” Cleveland said. “I don’t know if the school board has done enough to keep parents engaged in their children’s education. I think for me that’s very important.”

Cleveland wasn’t the only candidate who has previously spent time on the Genoa-Kingston board of education to voice a similar opinion.

Max Jake Wesner said he would “definitely would agree that parents have to start being responsible for their kids' action.”

“The disrespect that’s being shown, everybody’s afraid, don’t touch that kid, don’t look at them, or they’ll, you know, they’ll sue us or whatever,” Wesner said. “That has to change.”

Aidan Simmons, a 2017 Genoa-Kingston High School graduate who has earned an undergraduate degree from Northern Illinois University and anticipates completing NIU’s law school in May, said improving “tech literacy” for Genoa-Kingston students is among his top goals if elected.

“Whether we like it or not, AI is fundamentally going to shape our education in the future job markets,” Simmons said. “Teaching students to be able to utilize this, and to be able to find a niche in the job market and to be able to find jobs tomorrow and not just today is going to be of utmost importance.”

Simmons said he thinks the district needs to strike a balance between fiscal responsibility and promoting innovation.

Candidate Dean Gudeman, who said he’s lived in the Genoa-Kingston area for 11 years, said he thinks finding a way to effectively communicate with school district stakeholders would be his first order of business if elected.

“I believe that’s more than just emails, voicemails, parent teacher conferences. Those are very, very important, but at the end of the day, how do we continue to go further from that?” Gudeman asked. “If we’re a community that is the same that we were two years ago, we haven’t done anything different.”

Cleveland, Gudeman, Simmons and Wesner are four of five candidates vying for four open seats on the Genoa-Kingston board of education through the April 1, consolidated election. Amber Eberly did not attend the forum but was invited, according to the Genoa-Kingston Education Association. Write-in candidate Matt Krueg also did not participate in the forum.

Forum candidate attendees were given a chance to share with the public why they’re running for office.

Wesner, who previously served four years on the board, said he’s wanted to get back on the board since he he lost his seat.

“I kind of was not elected, and there was things I still had, that I wanted to continue on and do, and that’s why I’m actively trying to return to the board,” Wesner said.

Cleveland, who has two children attending Genoa-Kinston schools, gave a similar answer.

“There’s a lot of things I thought I left on the table when I was not voted back on the school board,” Cleveland said. “That’s another reason every time a resignation has come up I’ve tried to get back on.”

Gudeman, who has children elementary, middle and high schools in the district, said he’s ready to tackle any difficult conversations District 424 needs to have.

“The thing that I think makes me a good qualified candidate, at least in this position here with this board, is that wherever I’ve gone, I tend to be the guy who, whether it’s by choice or not, ends up having those difficult conversations,” Gudeman said. “It’s something that I’ve learned to be pretty good at and invite.”

Simmons, who worked for the district’s building and grounds department from 15 to 21, said he’s seen the ins and out of the district.

“I’ve worked for the district for many years,” Simmons said. “I’ve cleaned up trash in more bathrooms that I’d care to admit. I understand the role that everyone plays, and having been a substitute, and my legal experience, I feel like I bring a lot of knowledge and experience, and a unique perspective.”