Tuesday, July 19, 2011
A board seat will remain empty on the District 218 Board of Education after an Illinois Board of Elections
The District 218 Board of Education will be down one member for the next two years after the Illinois State Board of Elections determined the board failed to fill a vacant seat in the required time period. Incumbent board member Ron Pratl resigned shortly after winning reelection with just a 21 vote margin citing personal reasons. The board then interviewed two possible replacements. Linda Flanagan-Vahl, who narrowly lost to Pratl in April's election, and Pratl’s brother, Donald, both were considered. The board was unable to come to a consensus on either candidate, said Board President Randy Heuser last week. The state board's determination that the seat was not filled in the proper time frame means it will sit empty until the next …
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Unable to choose a replacement, last week's impasse became this week's reality. Board members said they will continue to represent the interests of the entire district, not their voting precincts.
A seat on the Community High School District 218 board of education will remain empty until spring 2013 after remaining board members failed to make an appointment on Monday. “Last week we met with two qualified board candidates,” board president Randy Heuser said. “Unfortunately we could not come to a consensus.” Board members would not comment on the details of the discord. The contents of their interviews and discussions are not immediately available and may never be made available to the public, as state law allows. Ron Pratl resigned from the board last month allegedly citing personal and medical reasons in a letter. Interviewing for his replacement was Linda Flanagan-Vahl, who challenged him in the last election, and Donald Pratl, …
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10701 Kilpatrick Ave, Oak Lawn, IL
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Monday, July 11, 2011
Interviews for board member Ron Pratl's replacement were conducted Thursday behind closed doors. They include Pratl's brother and former challenger.
Behind closed doors, Community High School District 218 staff and trustees interviewed two candidates Thursday to fill the board seat vacated by Ron Pratl, but failed to come to a consensus, superintendent John Byrne said. Interviewing for the seat were Linda Vahl, who ran unsuccessfully against Pratl in the recent election, and Pratl’s brother, Donald. “Both are very qualified,” Byrne said. “I’m impressed by both. They both seem very interested in District 218 and in the betterment of the schools.” Board president Randy Heuser said board members have a few more questions they'd like to ask of both candidates before they make a decision and is “cautiously optimistic” that they’ll reach one at Monday’s regular meeting. He wouldn't comment …
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10701 Kilpatrick Ave, Oak Lawn, IL
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Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Dan Sodaro and Linda Flanagan-Vahl, who lost hotly contested races in the April 5 election, pursue discovery recounts.
The losing candidates in two close Oak Lawn races traveled to a West Side warehouse for a discovery recount of votes cast in the April 5 election. Both are still holding out hope that they can overturn their respective elections. Dan Sodaro, who ran as a write-in candidate after getting bumped off the ballot, remains 11 votes behind longtime incumbent Bob Streit in the Oak Lawn Village Board trustee race. Linda Flanagan-Vahl lost a squeaker against Ron Pratl for a seat on the Community High School Dist. 218 school board that includes Richards High School. Losing candidates who fall within 95 percent of the winning number of votes can request a discovery recount in 25 percent of a municipality’s precincts. Sodaro was allowed a partial …
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
D218 school board member who narrowly won third time was noticeably absent from Tuesday's meeting. Sources say he resigned. Also, a settlement is reached with a special ed student.
Winners of the recent Community High School District 218 board election were sworn in Tuesday night, except for incumbent Ron Pratl, whose narrow victory has been held up while the county conducts a recount. Pratl, of Chicago Ridge and a Richards High School alum, won his third term over opponent Linda Flanagan-Vahl by just 22 votes. However, a source within the school district told Patch that Pratl missed Tuesday night’s special meeting because he has resigned. It has been alleged that Pratl stepped down sometime after the April 11 board meeting under the duress of fellow board members. If true, no announcement has been made. A second source close to the school board has alleged that Pratl was caught orchestrating no-bid school contracts …
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10701 Kilpatrick Ave, Oak Lawn, IL
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Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Upsets add some excitement to otherwise lackluster election.
Quinlan Elected to Second Term Oak Lawn Trustee Carol Quinlan won a second term on the village board by 129 votes against challenger Pete Quattrocchi in the fifth district. Quinlan prevailed despite several mailers by her opponent that cast her as an ineffective trustee unable to bring new business to Cicero Avenue, resolve flooding issues and for supporting a referendum petition to change the village’s form of government that was withdrawn amid claims of fraudulent signatures. “I think a message has been sent,” Quinlan said at her victory party Tuesday night at the Goal Post. “Voters are tired of what’s happening at [the village board] meetings,” she said of arguing among village board members at public meetings. Quinlan said that she …
Monday, April 4, 2011
Linda Flanagan-Vahl accuses two-term school board member Ron Pratl of using district custodians to circulate his nominating petitions, raising a question of ethics.
As the 2011 election season heads for the finish line, some candidates are getting jumpy waiting for the other shoe to drop. One of those races, Community High School Dist. 218, which includes Richards High School, is boiling over. Challenger Linda Flanagan-Vahl has accused two-term school board member Ron Pratl of ethical breaches. “I’m not a dirty politician,” Vahl said. “I just know he’s going to stuff a negative piece about me.” Vahl says she filed a Freedom of Information Act request for Pratl’s nominating petitions in January. Her quarrel isn’t with signatures on his petitions, but with who circulated them. According to Vahl, five Dist. 218 custodians helped Pratl circulate his petitions in the school board’s only contested race. The…
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10601 Central Ave, Oak Lawn, IL
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Tuesday, November 9, 2010
The District 218 Board of Education approved a measure to apply for a public health grant that will require policy changes in the snacks available to students and the amount of physical activity they get.
Potato chips and candy might soon be replaced by juice and granola bars in District 218's vending machines. Those healthy options could be coming to a high school near you if district officials have anything to say about it. Community High School District 218, which includes Shepard High School in Palos Heights and Richards High School in Oak Lawn, is looking at ways to revise school policy regarding healthy eating and physical activity. In order to facilitate the changes, the district is preparing to apply for a grant that could add between $25,000 and $200,000 to the healthy living initiative. "Part of the grant is to eliminate childhood obesity, to refine and tighten things up in terms of kids' choices and food offered," said Joe …
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STM
9:34 am on Wednesday, July 20, 2011
We the taxpayers should have our property taxes lowered because of the empty seat on the school board. This is taxation without representation. Maybe a special election should be held to fill the empty seat. Also the regional superintendent should be investigated for the decision he made. more ›