Meet Darrell Polfliet: candidate for Hononegah Community High School Board

Six candidates are running for four seats on the Hononegah Community High School School Board, with four incumbents, Joshua Ballard, Eric Flohr, Bob Geddeis, and Gayle Haab and two challengers, Anthony Jenkins and Darrell Polfliet. Check out all our candidate profiles in our expanded 2025 Election Guide for Roscoe, Rockton, and South Beloit.

Darrell Polfliet is running as a parent of three students in the district, one of which is currently a freshmen at Hononegah.

“I have a stronger vested interest in our kids' futures than maybe other current, long standing board members. I believe it is imperative we have actual parent representation on the school board,” Polfliet said.

“Seeing all the disruption in our federal government recently, I want to ensure we as a district maintain some normalcy for the sake of our students. With the recent reintroduction of House Bill HR 899, and the 30 plus representatives who have signed in support of the termination of the Department of Education, there is a lot of unknown with how school boards will operate in the future.”

“If elected I would do everything I can to support the teachers, students and parents of the district while paying mind to the tax burden we all shoulder.”

Hononegah will be recruiting a new superintendent this year and the school board is responsible for interviewing and hiring. “I find it important to be hyper selective, as this individual will lead for years to come,” Pofliet said. “I think it is paramount that we partner with the teacher's union (HEA) to understand 1- the type of leadership style that is preferred by the union and 2- will support the needs of our students and their parents or guardians, and 3- provides a clear vision for our schools future,” Pofliet said.

“Hononegah received an exemplary status from the Illinois Board of Education for a reason and its all because of the dedication our teachers and staff show day in and day out. We need the right person in place to keep that momentum going.”

“I have heard that bullying and hall safety still show up in school polls as an issue. This raises the question, Is the current school board doing enough? Personally I'd like to expand mental health resources to students and faculty too.”

“We all have different struggles and I think as a society we don't do enough in terms of addressing mental health. We've all seen or heard the ramifications of bullying and harassment. This doesn't include feeling of sadness or hopelessness.” Polfliet has statistics to show the percentages of those who suffer from these challenges.

Polfliet shares, “I suffered from depression as a teen while a student at Hononegah. Emotional instability causes a great deal of havoc on ones motivation, self image and peer/social skills.”

“With that said, we need to ask ourselves, do we have the staff and resources to handle the workload? I would argue that the current teacher and counselor to student ratio should be reevaluated. Also, are we doing enough with Special Education and individual education plans?”

“With the impending HR 899 bill, students who have an IEP or special needs will be affected. If you fall within these categories, I promise this, as a neurodivergent person myself, you can bet I will go to the table every time and fight on your behalf to ensure that Hononegah halls are safe, and our faculty has the time and resources to ensure you and your loved ones succeed.”

Though this is Pofliet's first run for the school board, he is no stranger to a conference room, and cross-functional leadership or estimating a large budget. “I consider myself a servant leader, one who isn't in it for himself but for all who are involved.”

“My satisfaction comes from finding solutions to complex problems, lifting others up and encouraging others to push themselves beyond their preconceived limits,” Profliet said.

“I'm a great listener who's able to effectively apply different logic and reasoning skills to determine an outcome that everyone can support. It isn't always easy and concessions are almost always involved when working with multiple groups or different ideologies. The goal is to have everyone walk away with something they feel good about.”

Pofliet is a strong community supporter. He has donated to the United Way and food pantries and has helped Carpenters Place of Rockford. In his 20's he and his friends started C.A.S.T (Community Action Service Team) where they clean up and beautify along roadways, bridges and retention areas located on the west side of Rockford, in neglected areas.

“I would be able to draw on many of my various experiences,” Pofliet said. “As a former student of HCHS, I will be able to recall my own experiences as a former student and to utilize them as a compass to help guide my decision making.”

“My professional background would be an asset when dealing with budgeting, managing projects, leadership and working with a team toward a collective goal.

“Most importantly, it is my experiences as a local resident, father and local business owner that would help shape each decision I make.

For the past 15 years Pofliet has worked for Comcast Cable. For the past six years he has worked for their construction and engineering department as a project coordinator, covering an assigned territory including Rockford, Freeport, Belvidere, Dekalb and “all the little towns from here to the Quad Cities.”

“This role affords me the opportunity to lead large scale projects, manage budgets ranging in the millions, and to network cross functionally with a variety of groups and individuals. Including political figures, municipal authorities, design firms, permitting agencies, labor partners and our internal and external teams, all while serving our customers and clients with the goal of completing projects on time and within budget.”

Pofliet is a Roscoe native, and a long time Rockton resident. He and his wife Tierra have three boys, and three rescue dogs. Together the Pofleit's run and operate Inkwell Books and Threads. “We foster literacy, advocate for marginalized groups and pride ourselves on being a welcoming space for all.”