Shakeup for District 227: Brunson Out; Coleman, Whorton In

The day after the contentious election for Rich Township High School District 227, ousted board member Tony Brunson and incoming members Cheryl M. Coleman and Shelia Whorton could agree on one thing: voter turnout was disappointing.

Despite the serious issues facing the district, many stayed home on Election Day, noted Brunson, 64.

"I'd like to thank everyone that did take time out to vote," Brunson said, adding he was unsure that higher numbers would have won him another term.

Good news went unheard?

Although community disappointment with lagging test scores and other problems at the district has been well-publicized, Brunson said the good news about District 227 is not being heard.

"We're one of the few school districts in the state with a budget surplus," said Brunson, a 20-year-veteran of the board.  "When the state gets behind in payments, we could still operate for six months."

Complaints that the school board did not allow more public debate were not realistic, Brunson added. "Rich Township has 600 employees, a budget of $70, $75 million. A school board meeting is a business meeting."

However, Brunson admitted that the school system is not adequately meeting youngsters' needs.  

"Some think that graduation from eighth grade is a big accomplishment," Brunson said.  Instead, the focus should be on preparing eighth-graders to succeed in high school, said Brunson, who plans to serve in advisory committees.

Coleman: "Time for real healing"

Though the election was over, incoming board member Cheryl M. Coleman said she was sticking by her campaign message of positive change.

"It's time for real healing between the district and the community," Coleman said. "There's been too much negativity."

The division between the feeder schools and the district must close as well, said Coleman. "There's something we can learn from them, we can't move forward without their help."

Coleman, 44, said her daughter Camille and son Marcus inspired her candidacy.

"I have a daughter with autism," the new board member reflected. "Two short years ago, Camille could not talk at all. Now she's putting sentences together. She's learning about feelings."

Coleman credited "mom power" with her election win. "The moms that are standing behind me are energized," she said. "My campaign team are stay-at-home moms. I had Annette Little; LaTonya Rapp; my own mom, Mary Brown; and our praying Mom, Monica Fountain."

Whorton: 'State of Emergency"

While District 227 is in a state of crisis, there is hope, said new board member Shelia Whorton.

"If the district has not made annual progress in seven years, I would say it's an emergency," Whorton explained. "It's also a situation that will change and get better over time."

The district should build partnerships with Governors State University and private enterprise, and research strategies that have turned around other districts, said Whorton.

Whorton said the severity of the problem was brought home to her when her 10-year-old granddaughter DeJah commented that she didn't want to attend public school.

"She said, 'I hear bad things about Rich East," recalled Whorton, 52, a Park Forest resident. 

"Some school districts have less per capita dollars, less tax money coming in, lower income, but their schools are doing better than ours," Whorton added. "You've got to let people know the truth and face the truth. The truth is our schools are failing and our children can't compete, but there's no reason why we can't be top of the charts."