District 200 board President Barry Greenwald and Vice President Yasmin Ranney conceded Tuesday night to three newcomers set to join the Oak Park and River Forest High School Board of Education.
With roughly 85 percent of the vote totaled, Ralph Lee led the field of five candidates with 4,074 votes, followed by Sharon Patchak-Layman with 3,717 and River Forest resident John Allen with 3,672.
Patchak-Layman is just finishing her second term on the District 97 elementary school board. Now she will move up the educational ladder to the high school. She was not reachable by cellphone Tuesday for comment. Her husband, Tom, noted, “I’ve never yet gotten her on her cellphone, but she said she would keep it on.”
Ralph Lee was at La Majada Restaurant with the New Leadership Party watching election returns (he is the party treasurer). Modestly, he attributed his victory to having “the most readable yard signs, a very short last name, and drawing number one on the ballot.”
On a more serious note, he said the voters were clearly sending a message, though he wouldn’t attempt to read their minds. Lee, however, reiterated his campaign message that “20 percent of the student body at OPRF is totally invisible, the lowest 20 percent academically. Many people are not really aware of that.”
Until now, Oak Parkers and River Foresters have been “content to leave things the way they are. No one has been clamoring for change.” While Lee is confident that change can happen, “I don’t expect it to happen rapidly.” The place to start, he said, is “addressing the reading levels of the lowest-achieving students. We haven’t really talked about that directly before.”
He says the board and the administration have been aware of the gap for 15 years and know that change is needed. “I’m simply suggesting a change in what we actually do.”
“I’m relieved and I’m happy I won,” Allen said. “I’m looking forward to working with my colleagues.”
People liked that Allen didn’t just talk about finances, he said.
Greenwald said he has no regrets, either on his service or the campaign.
“They say in politics raising taxes is a dangerous thing,” Greenwald said. Still, he feels he “did the right thing for the school.”
Ranney said public service is at the highest level of self-actualization. “It really reinforces your values,” she said. “There’s no glory in this. It’s hard work.”
Ranney noted as accomplishments ridding the district of the Cicero Township Trustees of Schools, leaving the school financially sound, reversing a failing trend on passing state standards under the No Child Left Behind Act, and hiring the school’s new superintendent.