Danville District 118 board member Shannon Bireline Schroeder says she would like for the district to be a “destination” for students in the area.
Schroeder is one of six active candidates vying for four spots on the school board in the April 6th consolidated election. She says she originally ran for the board in 2017 to serve as a voice for parents and teachers in the district. Now, she would like to continue forward with what she has started on the board.
Her vision, she says, is for District 118 to be a model where every student has the chance to succeed.
“It even becomes something where people move to the community to send their kids to our schools because it’s such a robust curriculum and we’re doing such great things for the students,” she says.
Schroeder hopes that online learning activities continue to be a part of the district’s methods moving forward. She says she looks at the silver lining in that students now have much more ways to communicate with their teachers than before. Even the parents can now be involved as well, as virtual meetings such as the Danville High School Viking Roundtable have allowed parents to interact with school staff members while cooking dinner or relaxing at home.
Another direction Schroeder says the district could go in is to expand its preschool program and alternative education. She says she would like to have an expanded preschool program under one roof, and also a possible expansion of Kenneth D. Bailey Academy.
“Personally, I think we could double or triple the size of the building and staff in order to meet our needs, and not make alternative education a disciplinary thing but actually maybe have a leadership program or an entrepreneurial program, something where it is actually alternative education,” she explains.
Schroeder says any parents who want to share their feelings or concerns with her can connect via her candidate Facebook page.
