Lake County Gazette

Woodland School District 50 Board candidate Joel Zwiefelhofer is aiming to make significant improvements to the district if elected on April 1. 

"I am running to make Woodland Schools better," Zwiefelhofer told the Lake County Gazette. 

Woodland is the seventh largest school district in Illinois and serves approximately 600 students per grade.

Zwiefelhofer described the current board's dynamics as dysfunctional and is calling for greater accountability among members. 

"Anyone who has watched or attended a Woodland Board of Education meeting would agree the board has become dysfunctional. I believe I can change the board dynamics based on my experience with nonprofit boards and committees," he remarked.

"The Board of Education has not had full attendance at a meeting this school year. In fact, two members have missed six of the last eight board meetings," he said. "Why has the board not recommended to have these two members removed from the board? Where is the commitment from these two elected members to the voters, the district, and the students of Woodland?"  

With 25 years of experience in corporate marketing, Zwiefelhofer noted he brings a strong background in budget analysis and results-driven leadership. 

"I have the skills necessary to analyze budgets, build actionable plans, and hold teams accountable to deliver results," he said. 

Zwiefelhofer has worked with major companies such as Eddie Bauer, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Ace Hardware and Capital One.

In addition to his corporate experience, Zwiefelhofer has a long history of service on nonprofit boards and committees. 

"I currently serve on the Warren Township High School Foundation, St. Brigid Parish Finance Council, and am a Lake County Election Judge,” he said. “I am also a girl’s volleyball coach along with being a boys and girls track & field coach.” 

Zwiefelhofer identified four major priorities he plans to focus on if elected. 

First, is Zwiefelhofer's commitment to improving the district's academic performance, with a particular focus on English Language Arts (ELA) and Math. 

"Woodland is below state averages for ELA and Math proficiency. Only thirty-six and a half percent of students are proficient in ELA and twenty-six point one percent in Math," he said.  

Zwiefelhofer emphasized that his top priority would be to raise proficiency levels by at least ten percent above the state average. 

"Getting the District to focus on improving these proficiencies will be my number one priority," he said.

Chronic absenteeism is another area of concern.

"Based on the Woodland twenty twenty-four Illinois Report Card, twenty-three percent of students miss more than ten percent (eighteen days) of the school year,” he said. “We need to quickly understand what is causing this and how Woodland can get kids back in school.” 

Zwiefelhofer said he would address absenteeism by targeting a reduction of 15 percent, ensuring students receive the education they need without unnecessary interruptions.

Zwiefelhofer also expressed concern about the district's financial management, particularly as enrollment has decreased by thirty-six percent since two thousand six while the budget has increased by fifty-one percent over the same period. 

"Middle school enrollment is likely to decrease fourteen percent over the next five years," he said.

He proposed exploring potential solutions such as consolidating support services with neighboring districts, including Gurnee and the high school, to reduce non-instructional costs.

"There should be discussions about what caused this and consider combining HR, payroll and other support services with Gurnee and the high school in efforts to reduce non-instructional costs," he said.

Zwiefelhofer also highlighted the importance of improving communication between the Board of Education and the community. 

"This is probably the first you are hearing about Woodland performance," he said.

Zwiefelhofer stressed the need for the district to provide regular updates on both academic and financial performance. 

He believes that strong leadership is essential for the district's success. 

"It comes down to having a Board of Education that is setting an aggressive, forward-looking vision for Woodland Schools," he said. "With the right leadership from the Board of Education, parents, teachers, staff, and administrators can work together to improve Woodland Schools."

The Woodland Community Consolidated School District 50 Board of Education election includes candidates Zwiefelhofer, Julia Plescia, Eric Daudelin, Keri Rasmussen, Carla N. Little and Nelson Tate. Anna Bennett Chang-Yen withdrew from the race.