There are more than 800 school districts in Illinois, and only 42 of them received the School Board Governance Recognition honor from the Illinois Association of School Boards.
The Riverside School District 96 Board of Education was one of them.
“Forty-two is not a lot,” mused Wesley Muirheid, in his third year as board president. “We are representatives of the community. We are doing the research, gaining the knowledge, what does the community want in their schools?”
According to a district press release, the School Board Governance Recognition program acknowledges local school boards that practice good governance behaviors as outlined by the Illinois Association of School Boards’ Foundational Principles of Effective Governance.
The release said the program aims to showcase how good governance creates a positive impact for students, staff and the entire district community.
It is the second time the District 96 board has received the two-year honor for which districts apply; the first was September 2023-August 2025.
Muirheid is joined on the board by vice president David Barsotti; secretary Stephanie Basanez Gunn; and board members Salina Claps, Dan Hunt, Matt Olech and Marlowe Djuric Kachlic.
District superintendent Dr. Martha Ryan-Toye said from her perspective the board does many things well.
“They stay focused, they stay informed, they keep their eye on what children need, they listen well, they know their role” she said. “They know policy, they know direction and they know what makes a good school system. These are volunteers and spend a lot of time and effort with a deep care and commitment.”
Muirheid said there are many key issues that the District 96 board faces right now. That includes the obvious – finances are crucially important, along with facilities upgrades. He said that some “are hitting the century mark in some cases.” But he added there was another area that might not be as well known: the social-emotional needs of children that are still working through the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“That’s been a big topic we’ve been talking about the last two or three years,” he said.
Don’t get the impression that there aren’t disagreements among board members. But from Muirheid’s perspective, that’s the sign of a high-functioning board.
“What I always tell people, all seven of us are moving in the same direction and have different perspectives to get there,” he said. “We find a way to come to a compromise and consensus. We have different approaches but we can always come to an agreement on how to move forward.”
As far as his role as board president, Muirheid sees himself as a facilitator.
“I look at my job as president to make sure all the voices and perspectives are brought to the table and understood so we have the best discussion possible to make the best decision in the moment,” he said. “If we got it right, how do we do it again?”
Ryan-Toye said the board has a sort of universal look at the needs of all, which reflects both the work that goes into being a board member and the resultant award.
“I think it means a lot of different things,” she said. “At the heart of it is being very focused on students and what they need and families and what they need and staff and what they need. It’s being ethical and willing to make decisions on behalf of students.”