Both the Royall and Norwalk-Ontario-Wilton school districts will have competition in their school board races next Tuesday.
At Royall, challenger Mike Crneckiy will vie against incumbent Tom Trepes. At N-O-W, newcomers Justin Fennigkoh and Julie Radke will compete for a seat vacated by Kurt Radke, who resigned from the board after 20 years of service.
The school board candidates’ answers to the County Line’s questionnaire follow.
ROYALL SCHOOL DISTRICT
Challenger Mike Crneckiy
What prompted your decision to run for school board? My family is very connected to the school district. We are involved in many activities throughout the school year. I feel as a member of the school board, I can help the district make decisions that put the children, staff, and learning first.
What particular skills or experiences could you bring to the board? I have served education as a teacher, building principal, director of pupil services, activities director, and past board member. I feel I have a strong understanding of what a school district needs to focus on to serve the children and learning to the fullest.
In what school or community activities have you been involved? I was a staff member in the Royall school district for 10 years when my wife and I first moved to the community. Since then, I have coached multiple sports teams at every level, supported the music department by attending just about every concert and performance we have had, served as an emergency substitute teacher, my children and I volunteered during the flood cleanup in Kendall, I’ve worked the overnight lock-in for the safety patrol the last several years, attended board meetings as a citizen, and numerous other school and community events.
What is the school district’s greatest attribute? Being on the school board involves making hard decisions that are not always popular. We are fortunate in the Royall School District to have a group of dedicated citizens willing to give their time in support of the school and the kids.
What is the school district’s greatest challenge? Our greatest challenge is to maintain our focus on the school and learning. Many things can pull our time and resources from those two priorities. As a school board member, I promise to do my best to focus my efforts on activities that will benefit the children and staff, making Royall a district that people want to join and stay.
Incumbent Tom Trepes
What prompted your decision to run for school board? I just wanted to continue in the same direction and make sure our kids are getting the best education they could possibly get.
What particular skills or experiences could you bring to the board? I’ve been Town of Clifton chair for 10 years and understand how the government works, and I’ve been on the Kendall Fire Department for 30 years and am good at working with people.
What is the school district’s greatest attribute? It’s a small-town school; they have that personal touch. It’s not a big school where they don’t really know you.
What is the school district’s greatest challenge? Moving ahead academically. Putting a little less effort on sports and more into academics. I don’t hate sports, but I want them ready to go on to school. I don’t want them struggling their first year of college.
I’ve lived here all my life, went to Royall, and graduated from Royall, and I want the school to keep going.
NORWALK-ONTARIO-WILTON SCHOOL DISTRICT
Challenger Justin Fennigkoh
What prompted your decision to run for school board? Having two children currently enrolled in the N-O-W School District, I have a vested interest in the decisions the school board makes concerning their education and the education of everyone in the district.
What particular skills or experiences could you bring to the board? Working for the Township of Sheldon, I have gained experience working with a board to make decisions that are in the best interest of our township. I have also worked with various grants programs to help fund projects in our township that would otherwise be outside of our budget. I enjoy working together and hearing different approaches to solve problems.
In what school or community activities have you been involved? My family and I enjoy attending the spring and winter concerts and also the plays. My youngest daughter plays basketball, and we always enjoy attending her games. We like to attend the various high school sporting events. Our family is also active in the Norwalk Clovers 4-H.
What is the school district’s greatest attribute? A couple of weeks ago, my answer to this question would have been the small class sizes. While this is still very important to me and played in our decision to send our girls to N-O-W after moving here from Milwaukee, I would have to now say our greatest attribute is the staff. With the events of the previous weeks, their commitment to making sure the district’s students are able to continue their education at home and the work they put into getting ready for the school shutting down on such short notice is unreal. Also, knowing the obstacles the kitchen staff had to overcome to get the lunch/breakfast program going shows how committed these people have to our children.
What is the school district’s greatest challenge? I feel the district’s greatest challenge is continuing to be able to have a budget that allows for all educational and extracurricular programs to be funded fairly. Any time you have declining enrollment, it creates challenges in budgeting. It is important to me to see all aspects of the district’s students be taken into consideration during budgeting, from class size, to ensuring the staff has the proper resources, to funding extracurricular activities, and maintaining a safe learning environment.
Challenger Julie Radke
What prompted your decision to run for school board? I decided to run for school board because I feel I can contribute a fresh voice from both sides of the table. Having worked at the school for 21 years and as recently as December 2019, I understand the needs and challenges the teachers and the school are facing. As a board member, that understanding can be used to work toward setting new policies to benefit our school. We are facing uncertain times right now, and I hope to be a positive factor in seeing our school district not only survive these challenges, but succeed despite them.
What particular skills or experiences could you bring to the board? I have strong communication skills both verbal and written. I’ve served on several boards and committees over the years, including First Congregational Church of Leon, Monroe County Junior Livestock, Monroe County Dairy Breakfast, Brookwood FFA Alumni, and the Monroe County Board.
In what school or community activities have you been involved? I am actively involved in Brookwood FFA Alumni. We raise money to help our FFA kids by helping finance conferences and convention opportunities, as well as giving out scholarships. Each year, I help plan, setup, and work at the Monroe County Dairy Breakfast. I make pancakes at Wilton Wood Turtle Days and Ontario’s Fourth of July celebration. Until six years ago, I was a leader in the Monroe County 4-H program. I’ve been involved in my home church my entire life.
What is the school district’s greatest attribute? The school district’s greatest attribute is threefold. We have great kids, a fantastic staff, and diversity. Twenty-eight percent of our student population is Hispanic. That is an asset to a school our size teaching our kids another culture and tolerance.
What is the school district’s greatest challenge? The greatest challenges our district is facing are declining enrollment, lack of state shared funds, and fewer numbers of people going into teaching.