Press Release

Peter Sobol announces his candidacy for re-election to the Monona Grove School Board in the upcoming spring 2010 election. Peter is seeking his second term on the board where he has served as Vice-President, Treasurer and chair of the Business Services committee, as well as a member of the Energy & Sustainability committee. Peter and his wife Kristin are Monona residents with 2 children in Monona Grove's MG schools. Peter is a member of the academic staff of the UW Department of Geosciences and is a partner in Synchrotron Research Inc, a company that develops unique scientific instrumentation. Peter believes that successful Monona Grove schools are the ultimate asset of our communities and high-quality public education is key to its future.


Peter believes that his experience overseeing the annual budget process has helped develop a grasp of the intricacies of district finance that will be invaluable in the difficult decisions the district will face in the coming years. Peter understands the difficult choices the district faces due to the structural budget deficit: “But my experience has shown me that successful organizations use tough times to focus and orient around that which is important, and I believe our schools can emerge from the current budget crisis as a stronger asset to our community. This process will require innovation and forward looking leadership capable of identifying, promoting and implementing the best practices in education and school operations.”

Peter highlights several areas of accomplishment including his leadership role in developing the energy efficiency contracts that will save more than $117,000 per year in energy costs. “Three years ago I identified that MG spends much more per student on energy than the average Wisconsin school district. Although I can’t overestimate the contributions of many on the board and district staff, my sustained leadership in this area played a key role in achieving these savings while at the same time providing critical infrastructure improvements and setting an example to students and the public about our commitment to a sustainable future. Through this effort I believe that I have helped place the district on a firmer financial footing that will help us weather difficult financial times in the future.”

Peter also maintains a blog (at http://petersobol.blogspot.com) designed to help keep the public informed on school board business as well his thoughts on issues before the board. The blog also serves as a convenient forum for feedback and questions from the public. “Campaign promises about improving communication with the community are as common as yard signs each spring, but little is accomplished. I have taken up this challenge by creating a frequently updated on-line blog intended to keep the public informed, despite a barrage of criticism from other board members.”

Peter believes his efforts at communication help counter a disturbing trend towards less of openness and public participation in school board decisions. He gives as an example recent decisions by the board to eliminate all committees that included public members. “I opposed the decision of the board to abolish the committee structures that have served the district for so long. Fourteen people from the community generously volunteered to serve on board committees this year but the board turned them all down, effectively eliminating the opportunity to benefit from their experience and isolating the board’s decision making process from public input. No citizen has been formally involved in any school board decision since last year’s re-organization, a real loss to our district especially considering the relative inexperience of the current board. If re-elected I will work to restore openness and public participation in our decision making process.”

If re-elected Peter also pledges to continue working to build a climate of academic achievement that provides opportunities for all students: “Accountability is key to our future success; we need to complete the transformation to an outcome driven model of operation.”