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Tri States Public Radio and NPR News will provide you with updated stories from all of our local and national elections between now and November. The NPR News element below will be updated constantly, and will sometimes provide live coverage and audio from important events leading up to the November elections. You can find all of our local coverage after the jump.Election 2012 News From NPR

Galesburg School Board Election Includes Write-In Candidates

T.J. Carson
Candidates for seats on the Galesburg School Board from outside Galesburg Township debate during a candidates forum.

Originally, there was just one candidate for two open seats on the Galesburg School Board for people outside of Galesburg Township.  But write-in candidacies changed that.

The three candidates are Amy Pickrel, Jean Ann Glasnovich, and Maurice Lyon.

Pickrel is the only candidate listed on the ballot, while Glasnovich and Lyon are campaigning as write-in candidates.

Credit T.J. Carson
Amy Pickrel is a native of Indiana and the only candidate listed on the ballot.

Pickrel said she would like to strengthen communications between the district and the community.

“I know that there are limits on what can be discussed in an open forum.  But I think that the relationship among the community, the staff, the teachers, the parents, and the school board and administration needs to improve,” Pickrel said.

Pickrel said she would also cut the budget instead of raising property taxes as a way to get a handle on the district’s finances.

Maurice Lyon wants to use “data-driven decisions” to find out which programs are running efficiently.

He also said he would seek new ways for the district and the state to raise revenue through taxing certain services.

“Maybe investment transactions could be taxed.  Maybe legal fees could be taxed.  I mean, there’s a lot of services out there.  Lawn mowing could be taxed at a small rate,” Lyon said.

Credit T.J. Carson
Maurice Lyon is a recently retired school administrator who said he still checks in with the Galesburg School District.

Lyon said he would also work on improving morale as a way of helping the district get past last summer’s teachers’ strike.

Jean Ann Glasnovich said she would work to scale back programs instead of completely cutting them, and she would work to improve morale and develop more collaborations within the district.

Glasnovich also felt certain traits have been missing from the district as of late.

Credit T.J. Carson
Jean Ann Glasnovich said she held a variety of positions during her 25 years with the Galesburg School District. 20 of those years were spent as a counselor.

“I think that you create a climate where there’s trust and cooperation among all the parties who are involved.  And I think over the last few years, from what I’ve heard and what I’ve been seeing, that had been deteriorating,” Glasnovich said.

Incumbents Michael Panther and Natalie Kessler are not running.  Panther is the current board president.