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All Students. All Programs. A Strong Future for Crete Public Schools.

Eric Fahrlander for Crete Board of Education

I believe a great public education serves all students, in all activities, at all levels. A school where every student has rights and protections. This is a great school district, but I feel we can be better champions for all students in Crete. I want to be an advocate for that cause.

Crete has a great school district, with dedicated teachers and staff, talented students, and a community that cares deeply about its schools. I am running for the Crete Board of Education because I believe my experience can help us build on those strengths while making sure every student and every area of education has a voice.

After all, it is all about the kids.

Protect opportunities, rights, and educational experiences for every student.
Establish thoughtful priorities and use district resources responsibly.
Explain decisions clearly and strengthen our connection, and communication with the district.
Support academics and the full range of programs that help students discover their abilities.
Listen to the professionals who know our schools firsthand, and work as a team.

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About Me

Educator. Veteran. Parent. Grandparent. Community Member.

Given my background as an educator and veteran, with children who have graduated from Crete and grandchildren who are currently enrolled, I feel I understand the issues our school faces from different perspectives. Having had an “inside” view of what happens in the classroom enables me to balance what students, administrators, and teachers need, with the expectations of parents and community.

As a band director, my classroom may have been the music room, but my involvement extended throughout the school. I worked with teachers, administrators, support staff, parents, and students across programs and grade levels.

That experience taught me something important: a school is a community, and every part of it matters.

Although I am now retired from teaching, I remain connected to Crete Public Schools. My children graduated from Crete, and today I have grandchildren attending our schools. I now see the district not only through the eyes of a former educator and past-president of the Teachers Association, but also as a parent, grandparent, taxpayer, and community member.

Those different perspectives are part of what I hope to bring to the Board of Education.

Eric Fahrlander

Serving on a school board requires more than supporting good ideas. Board members must weigh competing needs, understand the consequences of decisions, ask thoughtful questions, and keep the long-term interests of students and the community in mind.

My years as an educator gave me firsthand experience with what happens after policies and budgets leave the boardroom and reach the classroom.

Experience & Perspective

I understand the importance of balancing:

the educational needs of students;
the ability of teachers and staff to do their jobs effectively;
the responsibilities of administrators;
the expectations and concerns of families;
and the financial realities facing taxpayers and the district.

I also bring the perspective of a veteran, where teamwork, responsibility, careful planning, and understanding the consequences of decisions are essential.

I believe those experiences can help me approach Board decisions thoughtfully, fairly, and with the larger picture in mind.

Priorities

All Students

Students find their place in different ways.

For some it may be academics or athletics. For others it may be industrial technology, music, art, cultural programs, clubs, activities, or another opportunity that helps them discover where they belong and what they can accomplish.

I believe we should continue supporting strong academics while recognizing the important role these other programs play in a complete education.

Our responsibility is not simply to serve the most visible students or programs, it is to provide opportunities for all students to succeed.

Financial Responsibility

Responsible Stewardship in a Challenging Financial Environment

School funding will be one of the significant challenges facing the district in the coming years. With our reliance on property tax to currently fund our public school systems, money is tight, especially with lower property valuations in our area and declining state aid. In addition, given the current political climate, there are many residents in our community who do not feel safe due to their cultural background.

When resources are limited, priorities matter.

Responsible financial stewardship means looking carefully at expenditures, considering both immediate and long-term consequences, and making decisions based on what best supports the district's educational mission.

It also means recognizing that fiscal responsibility and educational quality are connected. Recruiting and retaining quality teachers and staff, maintaining effective programs, and providing students with meaningful opportunities all require thoughtful planning.

Transparent Governance

As financial pressures increase…
the community should understand not only what decisions are being made, but why they are being made.

That is where transparency becomes especially important. I believe communication and transparency are vital in the trust that the community places in school board members. This is going to be important as we move through the next few years of fiscal challenges. Getting the message out that the school is being financially responsible and reasonable is most certainly important, just as it is to retain and recruit quality staff.

Quality
Education

There is a great deal happening in Crete Public Schools that deserves recognition.

Our district has gone through a rigorous curriculum shift to prepare students for the future. With a renewed focus on improving student’s reading scores and achieving higher state standards, our students are doing a great job in the classroom. It is important to get that information out to the public, not just the parents. Our activities, programs, and special projects are great ambassadors for our school system, but we also need to celebrate what happens in the classroom every day.

Athletics, music, activities, programs, and special projects are highly visible ambassadors for our schools, and we should celebrate them. But some of the most important accomplishments happen quietly in classrooms every day.

A student finally understands something that once seemed impossible. A teacher finds a new way to reach a struggling learner. An alum discovers a talent or an interest that has led them into a fulfilling career.

Those successes deserve to be shared with the broader Crete community, too.

Good communication isn't only about explaining problems. It is also about celebrating progress.

Teachers
& Staff

Strong Schools Need Strong Teams

Teachers and staff work with students every day. They see firsthand what is working, where students are struggling, and where policies may have unintended consequences.

I believe their professional experience deserves respect.

That doesn't mean every request can be granted or every problem has an easy solution. It means teachers and staff should be heard and treated as important members of the team working toward the same goal: providing the best education possible for Crete students.

Supporting educators also means creating an environment where Crete can recruit and retain talented people who want to build their careers here.

Preparing Students for Life

A diploma is an important milestone, but graduation shouldn't be the finish line for our responsibility to students.

Students leave Crete with different goals and different definitions of success. Some will attend a four-year university. Others will pursue community college, technical education, apprenticeships, military service, or enter the workforce.

Our schools should help students understand those choices and prepare them to take the next step with confidence.

That includes strong academics, but it also means developing practical skills, responsibility, communication, creativity, problem-solving, and exposure to different career opportunities.

Success after graduation doesn't have just one path.

Building a Strong School-Community Connection

Crete's diversity is one of the realities and strengths of our community.

Our students come from different families, backgrounds, cultures, abilities, interests, and circumstances.

Public schools have a responsibility to educate them all.

Every student should be able to attend school knowing that they have rights, protections, opportunities, and adults who want them to succeed.

We may not always agree on every issue facing public education. But we can approach those issues respectfully, listen carefully, communicate openly, and keep our attention where it belongs:
on the students we are here to serve.

Good schools build stronger students, stronger families, and a stronger community. Eric Fahrlander is running for the Crete School Board to bring accountability, transparency, and support for our teachers and students.

You can help make that happen. (It only takes about 30 seconds to show your support.)

Whether it’s displaying a yard sign, volunteering, or making a small donation, every bit of support helps us reach more families across the district.