Geneva school board to consider 7 applicants to fill 2 vacancies at special meeting

GENEVA – The Geneva District 304 school board will consider seven applicants to fill two vacancies at a special meeting Monday night, Board President Michael McCormick said.

In closed session last week, the board chose seven finalists from a pool of 17 applicants and plans to interview them in closed session for about 20 minutes each during the special meeting, McCormick said. The vacancies were left when former board president Taylor Egan and Alicia Saxton both resigned early last month.

“That will take two to two and a half hours and then our discussion,” McCormick said.

Superintendent Kent Mutchler said the district could not release the seven names because they were from a closed meeting.

“To clarify, all are still under consideration, because the board might decide to interview more applicants,” Mutchler said. “The board wants to narrow it to Monday, but it’s not a hard deadline. They hope to do (appointments), but it’s not required.”

The agenda states there is possible action to follow the closed session, so action is not required.

The applicants’ names and applications were released in response to a Freedom of Information Act request.

Applicants are Adam McArdle, former Geneva alderman Charles Brown, David Blatchley, Dwayne Kennemore, Elizabeth Stevenson, Eric Ott, Joel Anderson, Matthew Rodewald, Molly Ansari, Natalie Henderson, Paul Radlinksi, chiropractor Ryan Deniz, Sarah Falkner, Sarah Ricchio, Stephanie Bellino, Teresa Bomquist and William Liewehr.

Editor’s note: The school district on Monday released a statement saying due to a clerical error, one applicant’s responses “were inadvertently attributed to another. The District has corrected the information and regrets any confusion.” These applications have been updated to correct applicant Elizabeth Stevenson’s responses.

Brown is also a retired senior scientist at Fermilab who pledged not to run for election in 2023 in his application.

“Some anti-education trends in the US have hampered well-meaning teachers from trying to instill enthusiasm in their students for learning from the accumulated wisdom of our forefathers,” Brown wrote in response to a question about what he sees as current challenges in public education. “Those who ignore history are destined to repeat it.”

Ott, former owner of the now-shuttered Geneva Running Outfitters, also put in an application.

“I have a very diverse background of viewpoints,” Ott’s stated in answer to a question about what specific strengths he would bring to the board. He said he has children currently in the district and works as a special education teacher.

“I have also worked closely with the Geneva Chamber of Commerce in producing events,” Ott wrote. “With having these various experiences, it allows me to work with with m any different personalities and perspectives.”

Rodewald cited his work as a journalist for 20 years, being a high school teacher, a coach and having two master’s degrees in secondary education and education administration.

Also, Rodewald attended Fourth Street School, was in the last graduating class from Coultrap Middle School, and was 1998 Senior Class President at Geneva High School, according to his application.

“As I stated prior, unity is going to be something that will be at the forefront until we find people that work for the entire community,” Rodwald wrote in answer to a question about priorities for the district to address.

“How we reconcile the differences in our community will be at the core of what can be achieved going forward,” Rodewald wrote. “Our students need to be the biggest priority hands down, however, with administration turnover and a collective bargaining conversation right around the corner, there is a lot that needs to be done to put the focus back squarely where it belongs: On the kids.”

Deniz, a local chiropractor, spoke to the school board last August to advocate for having masks optional in school.

“Communication, distrust of the public school system as a whole, parents, teachers, administration and school boards not working together and being very divided,” Deniz wrote in answer to a question about current challenges in public education.

“My hope is for the board, district and community to become more unified and provide an excellent education for our students,” Deniz wrote in response to a question about his best hopes for the district’s future. “In addition, I hope our students (are) able to think feely and question/debate ideas in a respectful and loving way.”

Bellino spoke to the school board last July in favor of universal masking in school.

“The biggest challenge I see facing public education throughout the entire nation is an attack on the very institution of public education itself,” Bellino wrote in response to a question about current challenges in education. “There has been a push to privatize education. Public education is an imperative right which every American deserves equitable access to.”

The special meeting to interview the applicants is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Monday at Geneva Middle School South, 1415 Viking Drive, Geneva.

According to the agenda, the board may also decide what search firm to use for finding its next superintendent.

Editor’s note: The school district on Monday released a statement saying due to a clerical error, one applicant’s responses “were inadvertently attributed to another. The District has corrected the information and regrets any confusion.” The applications above have been updated to correct applicant Elizabeth Stevenson’s responses.