Meet the District 47 School Board Election Winners

The results of Tuesday’s election are in!

Independents Nancy Gonsiorek and Robert Fetzner and Republican Ryan Farrell were elected to serve four-year terms. Consider this your introduction to the board members and the work they’ll be doing over the next four years.

Nancy Gonsiorek

Nancy Gonsiorek has served on the School Board for four years. She is a long-time Crystal Lake resident and has 25 years of experience as a Certified Public Accountant. During her previous term, she served as the school board vice president. She has also served on the budget/finance committee, the technology committee, legislative committee, boundary committee and school lunch committee.

Gonsiorek says she is committed to providing quality education in a fiscally responsible manner, serving as an engaged, thoughtful board member and staying focused on the District 47 mission statement. She would like to see the district strengthen its arts and humanities program and provide healthier school lunches.

Gonsiorek sees coping with the diminishment of state funding as one of the main challenges facing the board.

“We get $15 million from the state,” Gonsiorek says. “When your overall budget is $85 million, the loss of some to all of that funding is always a concern.”

Gonsiorek finds the opening of the school board meeting, when students give presentations about what’s going on at their schools, to be one of the most rewarding parts of serving on the school board.

“It’s always a highlight,” she said. “But it’s all good–I like my colleagues on the board, we work with the best superintendent and teachers.”

Rob Fetzner

Rob Fetzner is an associate with the law firm Buxton and Kasper in Crystal Lake. He also acts as an assistant coach for the Crystal Lake Central basketball team.

Fetzner was appointed to the board in June of 2009. During his first two years on the board, he worked on the transportation joint agreement with District 155 to provide busing, as well as on the technology committee and the operation committee. This was his first election.

“It was interesting–stressful. I’m glad it’s over and I’m looking forward to four more years.”

Like Gonsiorek, Fetzner sees dealing with declining state resources as one of the main challenges facing the board. It will be a challenge to balance the budget while trying not to cut any program. In the long term, Fetzner anticipates declining enrollment will become an issue.

“In four to six years, maybe 10, we’ll have to make some decisions.”

Fetzner was an education major as an undergraduate.

“I always had aspirations of being a teacher,” Fetzner said.

He finds the opportunity to help others educate very rewarding.

“Education is the most important thing we do for our youngsters and District 47 does an excellent job of providing that.”

Ryan P. Farrell

Ryan Farrell is a long-time Crystal Lake resident. He is a lawyer and certified public accountant for the law firm Zukowski, Rogers, Flood, & McArdle in Crystal Lake. He also serves as a member of the , as a co-chair of the McHenry County Economic Development Corporation Business Growth and Development Committee, and on the junior board for the . This is Farrell’s first election and term of service on the District 47 School Board.

Farrell did not respond to calls for comment.