Somers: Peoria Unified is defined by more than an election

In my short time in our district, it hasn’t taken me long to see and hear the passion that so many of you have for our community.

It’s hard to describe, but as the new guy in town, it is something I felt from the moment I got here. I saw that passion play out over the last few months as so many worked hard to share facts and campaign on their own time for our bond election. I want to thank each one of them for their support.

It may be disheartening to see that our bond is failing, which is similar to other unified school districts of our size.

But please remember that this district is defined by more than an election. We are an “A” rated school district. We exceed the state in its graduation rate and state testing. We are national leaders in arts education, we crush the competition in CTE, win robotics and MESA championships and our athletic programs are second to none. The opportunities we provide meet the needs of every child, and the dedication of our employees are what leads so many families to our schools and it’s what led me to choose this place along with the nearly 4,000 of you.

We can choose to dwell on our current situation, or we can choose to reaffirm our commitment to our students, who showed up today ready to learn regardless of what has happened at the polls. Part of our responsibility as educators is to own our part of the narrative around public education. People are not going to change the way they talk about us until we change the way we talk about us.

While we await the official results of this election, please join me by choosing to keep doing the good work and telling everyone around you about the uplifting stories from our schools and inside our classrooms. I am committed to telling our story and I won’t stop working to build your trust and demonstrate how valuable the community’s support is for our schools, staff, and students.

Thank you for your support of our more than 35,000 students.