QUINCY, IL -- We have more information for you on the Kids First Coalition endorsing four candidates in the Quincy school board election.

We've learned that some candidates were interviewed by this group. Chris Bunch was one of them.

He told KHQA that during that interview, he was asked if he would accept an endorsement from the Coalition if it were offered.

He said yes, but "it was ultimately only offered to the two incumbents and two retired teachers on the ballot."

We've been told that Vicki Blackwell and Connie Taylor, two endorsed candidates, also were interviewed.

Tom Dickerson and Curtis Lovelace were not, since they already serve on the board and the group could look at their records of service for information.

Another candidate, Otis Pleasant, also wasn't interviewed this time because he'd been a school board candidate in the past.

You'll remember we told you that first-time candidate Denette Kuhlman was not interviewed. Two other candidates, Glenn Bemis and Jeff Mays, confirmed they weren't interviewed, either.

Bemis told KHQA that it seems odd not to be asked, especially since he was told on March 22 that Kids First had selected its candidates.

That's before the first public forum for school board candidates was held on March 26, sponsored by the PTA.

A letter we were given from the Quincy Federation of Teachers invited teacher's union members to an informal/social event held on March 22 to meet the four chosen candidates, four days before that PTA forum.

Jeff Mays also sent an e-mail to KHQA. 

He said in part, "This is the fifth school board election in which a group of nameless, faceless people headed by Quincy's teacher union leadership has attempted to spoon feed the public their chosen ones."

We also spoke again with Kids First spokesman Jim Burns.

He told KHQA he has heard some regret from coalition members that not all candidates were interviewed before endorsement selections were made, and that in hindsight, the group could have done a better job of hearing from other candidates.

And ultimately, the endorsements were made based on discussions by Kids First members at three different coalition meetings.