Cambridge school district voters elected Chad Humphry, Breanna Leander and Dianne Jeffries to the school board.
Chad Humphrey
Humphrey, 33, a Cambridge resident, is a 1994 graduate of Cambridge High School and a 1998 graduate of Augustana College, Rock Island, earning a bachelor of arts degree in biology. He also earned his master of science degree in physical therapy from the Washington University School of Medicine, program in physical therapy, St. Louis, Mo., in 2000.
Humphrey is employed at Rock Valley Physical Therapy as a physical therapist, clinic manager.
“Cambridge and its school system are very important to me,” Humphrey stated. “I grew up here. I went to school here. My childhood memories are here. My family has been a part of this community for decades and will continue to be a part of this community for years to come. I have a vested interest in this community and its school system. I would be honored to serve the community as part of the Cambridge School Board.”
Humphrey said there are many difficult issues the school board is currently facing and will be faced with in the future such as: declining enrollment, reduction in state and federal funding, meeting the rising standards as set forth by No Child Left Behind, maintaining high academic achievement with a leaner budget, keeping up with technological advances that will provide our students with the skills needed to succeed in college and in the work place, and meeting rising costs of food, fuel, energy, health care and basic supplies.
“The board must continue to maintain a balance between higher level core subjects for college bound students and vocational offerings for those students who intend to head out into the work force immediately after high school,” he said. “This could be a difficult task due to potential reductions in funding. The board has done a good job during these tough times maintaining a level budget and solid curriculum while beginning to look toward the future we may be facing as a district.”
Humphrey said the athletic coop with AlWood is an example of the board seeing a need that exists for Cambridge students and working to be sure that need is filled.
“I commend them on making that difficult decision and am hopeful that it will be a successful venture,” he said. “I am excited about the possibility of being a part of the organization that will make these difficult decisions.”
Humphrey said his experience as a clinic manager at one of Rock Valley Physical Therapy’s facilities makes him an excellent candidate for the Cambridge Board of Education. In addition to serving on Rock Valley’s executive council, he deals with daily budget and financial decisions.
“As the clinic manager, I am also responsible for personnel decisions as well as the decisions about what course of treatment will be best for my patients,” he stated. “Although the choices I make on a daily basis can be difficult, maintaining optimum patient care and a highly successful functioning clinic is vital.”
Those skills would translate into his ability to work with the other members of the school board in order to make tough choices that will ultimately allow the children of Cambridge to receive an academically diverse, well-rounded education.
“Cambridge is not alone in the challenges it will face in order to be sure that the children of this community receive the education necessary for them to be successful in whatever path they may choose,” he stated. “The Cambridge Board of Education will need to be proactive so we are able to increase the opportunities available to our students. Our teachers must be held to a high standard and must be provided with the resources necessary to ensure the academic excellence the Cambridge School District is known for. As a community we need to be sure that our focus stays on the children and their futures. I hope that my child, my nieces and nephews, and all the children in Cambridge will feel the same pride I feel for my town and my school. I believe that my voice on the Cambridge Board of Education will be a positive voice for our children and our community.”
Breanna Leander
Leander, 28, of Cambridge, is a 1998 graduate of Cambridge High School and a 2001 graduate of Northern Illinois University in DeKalb with a bachelor of science degree in economics and statistics.
Leander was named the “Undergraduate of the Year” in the Department of Economics at N.I.U. in 2001. She also attended the Fellow, Life Management Institute.
She has been employed at Midland Group since May of 2008 as a financial counselor and medical biller.
“I am seeking a position on the school board, as a parent,” Leander stated. “As a parent of two young daughters, I have a vested interest in the school district and the direction it is headed.”
When asked why she is running, Leander said knowledge is power, and children are the future of our community and country.
“So I want to make sure our children are given the greatest academic opportunities possible,” she stated. “They should feel confident on their first days of college that Cambridge schools have prepared them just as well, if not better, than the students sitting around them. We have so many bright and intelligent children in our community. I want to play a role in helping them achieve their fullest potential.”
Leander said she feels the current school board is doing a good job.
“Our school is financially stable,” she stated. “The school board has done a excellent job of that and they are continuously seeking improvements for the district.”
When asked what the board should be doing differently, Leander said she is in no position to judge or criticize the work they have done or are doing.
“I appreciate and respect the time they each volunteer to make a difference in our schools,” she stated.
Leander said some of the most important issues the board faces are how to remain financially stable in a time of economic crisis, how to deal with the decline in student enrollment and most importantly, how to provide the greatest academics possible to each and every student.
“I would like the average composite test scores for standard achievement tests and ACT tests in our district improved,” Leander stated. “This would mean our children would be improving academically and coming even closer to their potential. I also would like to maintain or increase of current extracurricular activities, as they also play a role in the growth of our children. In addition, I’d like to find a way to attract more families to move to Cambridge and increase enrollment. We are a great community with a lot to offer.”
If elected to a four-year term, Leander said at the end of her term she hopes the difference will be the children.
“I hope our children are given more and better academic opportunities and student enrollment has increased,” she stated. “I also hope that surrounding communities will find a newfound respect for Cambridge as they see how well our children are succeeding in the school district.”
Dianne Jeffries
Jeffries, 38, is a 1988 graduate of Sherrard High School and a 1994 graduate of Western Illinois University with a bachelor of business degree in finance.
She is employed as an HRSS representation in human resources at Deere and Company, Moline.
Jeffries has served as a school board member for the last four years. She is current serving on the finance committee and transportation committee for the board. She is also treasurer and an active member of the Cambridge Parents Club.
“I would like to continue to volunteer my time for the Cambridge School Board because I have a vested interest in the school with one my kids entering junior high and another starting prekindergarten in the fall,” Jeffries stated. “I take great pride in the things we have accomplished as a school board and I look forward to be able to continue to contribute to the future of our school district.”
Jeffries said the current school board has taken a proactive approach regarding the future of the Cambridge School District by actively pursuing issues such as sports cooping, academic cooping, keeping up with the latest trends in education and maintaining the schools.
Jeffries stated some of the board's accomplishments during her term.
• Implementing a drug-testing progrom for the safety of student,
• Continuing to achieve fiscal responsibility while maintaining a quality education for kids. This includes receiving the ISBE Certificate of Financial Recognition every year during her term,
• Hiring a new high school principal and superintendent,
• Pursued sports coop with AlWood schools to insure and expand the extracurricular opportunities for Cambridge students,
• Improved communication with parents through the Cambridge Parents Network, implementation of Power School program and the new Quick Contact system,
• The board is in the final stages of academic sharing with AlWood and Orion, which will provide Cambridge students the opportunity to graduate with a semester of college credit already completed.
Jeffries said some of the most important issues facing the board now are continuing to attract and retain the quality of teachers that make Cambridge great.
“We need to continue to investigate and implement new technology to improve student learning,” Jeffries stated. “Some example would be to have Smart Boards, Kindles and iPods in every classroom.”
Another issue Jeffries believes weighing heavy on member of the board and community is whether we should or shouldn’t consolidate with one of our neighboring districts.
“I strongly believe that this should not be entered lightly,” she stated. “It is our responsibility that if and/or when this does happen, that it is done properly. A successful consolidation takes a lot of time, patience, research and communication. All school districts involved will need to be 100 percent in agreement with the consolidation so that we can convey to our committees that this is the best option for our kids. If this is an option that Cambridge does decide to pursue in the future it will be done effectively.”
If re-elected, Jeffries would like to see the board continue to improve the technological opportunities and maintain academic excellence for the students.
“I would also like the board to pursue financial options for the school to become more environmentally friendly and energy efficient,” she stated.
“I would also continue to evaluate the cirrculum to ensure that Cambridge students are successful and competitive in the future and investigate opportunities to provide improved vocational classes for students wishing to go down a different path,” she said. “I would also like to see the board finalize the athletic coop to include football.”
If elected to serve another four-year term, Jeffries would like to look back with great pride knowing that she continued to provide for the kids of Cambridge by following through on the goals that have been set.
“We will be successful as a school board knowing that we provided the students of Cambridge the skills they will need to be successful in this ever changing world,” she concluded.
