Every year IFI receives calls asking for information on local races, especially school board races. We emailed a 10 question school board candidate questionnaire, asking that folks forward it to the school board candidates running in their community. A few are below. Check back before you vote to see if others have been added. Several have been added since this first was posted.
We have also included the percentages of students who met or exceeded proficiency standards in math, science and ELA in these school districts. These come from the Illinois Report Card which is put out by the Illinois State Board of Education. It’s shocking to see the low percentages of students who meet or exceed proficiency standards.
If you have friends or family living in any of these districts, please send them the link to this article and ask them to forward it to others in their community.
High School Township HSD 211 consists of 5 high schools which takes in Hoffman Estates, Inverness, Palatine, Schaumburg, and parts of Arlington Heights, Elk Grove Village, Hanover Park, Rolling Meadows, Roselle, South Barrington, and Streamwood. IFI has written about this school district and its board members extensively. A few articles: here, here, and here.
Questionnaire from Candidate Susan Saam.
All school board candidates from District 211 are featured in this Daily Herald article on their positions on SB 818 – the recently passed controversial sex ed law that begins in kindergarten.
Met or exceeded proficiency in ELA (42.5%)
Met or exceeded proficiency in math (49.3%)
Met or exceeded proficiency in science (65.7%)
Elgin SD U-46 consists of 53 schools, ranging from Pre-K to 12, taking in Bartlett, Elgin, Hanover Park, South Elgin, Streamwood and Wayne and portions of Carol Stream, Hoffman Estates, St. Charles, Schaumburg, and West Chicago.
Questionnaire from Candidate Maureen Morris.
Met or exceeded proficiency in grade school ELA (19.6%); high school ELA (19.1%)
Met or exceeded proficiency in grade school math (19.3%); high school math (17.4%)
Met or exceeded proficiency in science (45.8%)
Joliet Township High School District 204 consists of 2 high schools – Joliet Central & Joliet West.
Questionnaire from Candidate Damon Zdunich.
Met or exceeded proficiency in ELA (14.6%)
Met or exceeded proficiency in math (14.7%)
Met or exceeded proficiency in science (49.5%)
Springfield School District 186 consists of 31 schools from K-12.
Questionnaire from Candidate Donna J. Hopwood.
Met or exceeded proficiency in grade school ELA (21%); high school ELA (19.9%)
Met or exceeded proficiency in grade school math – (14.9%); high school math (18.5%)
Met or exceeded proficiency in science (36.8%)
Collinsville CUSD 10 consists of 1 high school, one middle school, and 9 elementary schools.
Questionnaire from Candidate Michael Aden.
Met or exceeded proficiency in grade school ELA (23%); high school ELA (21.6%)
Met or exceeded proficiency in grade school math (16%); high school math (21%)
Met or exceeded proficiency in science (48.7%)
New Lenox SD 122 consists of 12 schools K-12.
Questionnaire from Candidate Heidi Connolly.
Met or exceeded proficiency in ELA (34.7%)
Met or exceeded proficiency in math (39.7%)
Met or exceeded proficiency in science (59.9%)
Morris CHSD 101 consists of 1 high school.
Questionnaire from Candidate Jeffrey Wynn.
Met or exceeded proficiency in ELA (28.3%)
Met or exceeded proficiency in math (29.6%)
Met or exceeded proficiency in science (60.6%)
East Peoria Riverview CCSD 2 consists of 1 elementary school.
Questionnaire from Candidate AJ Walters.
Met or exceeded proficiency in ELA (7.9%)
Met or exceeded proficiency in math (11.1%)
Met or exceeded proficiency in science (42.3%)
CUSD 300 consists of 26 schools ranging from K-12 in Algonquin, Carpentersville, East Dundee, West Dundee, Sleepy Hollow, Gilberts, Pingree Grove, Hampshire, Lake in the Hills, and Cary.
Questionnaires from Candidates Bob Reining, Kristina Kostanty, Laurie Parman, and Connie Cain.
Met or exceeded proficiency in grade school ELA (26.8%); high school ELA (30%)
Met or exceeded proficiency in grade school math (25.6%); high school math (27.1%)
Met or exceeded proficiency in science (50.4%)
Germantown Hills SD 69 consists of 1 elementary and 1 middle school.
Questionnaire from Candidate Mark Duffer.
Met or exceeded proficiency in ELA (65.4%)
Met or exceeded proficiency in math (58.9%)
Met or exceeded proficiency in science (79.5%)
Metamora CCSD 1 consists of 1 grade school.
Questionnaire from Candidate Marilyn Roley.
Met or exceeded proficiency in ELA (51.5%)
Met or exceeded proficiency in math (41.5%)
Met or exceeded proficiency in science (77.8%)
Metamora High School District 122 in Woodford County consists of 1 high school.
Questionnaires from Zachary Taylor and Dawn Weinman.
Met or exceeded proficiency in ELA (39.3%)
Met or exceeded proficiency in math (48.2%)
Met or exceeded proficiency in science (73.4%)
Stevenson HSD 125 consists of 1 high school. It serves all or parts of 15 communities with its 42-square-mile district: Lincolnshire, Long Grove and Prairie View, and portions of Buffalo Grove, Deerfield, Hawthorn Woods, Indian Creek, Kildeer, Lake Forest, Lake Zurich, Mettawa, Mundelein, Palatine, Riverwoods, Vernon Hills and Wheeling.
Questionnaire from Candidate Aaron Glenn.
Met or exceeded proficiency in grade school ELA (72.3%)
Met or exceeded proficiency in math (75.7%)
Met or exceeded proficiency in science (82.8%)
Geneseo CUSD 228 consists of 5 schools ranging from K-12.
Questionnaire from Lance Neal.
Met or exceeded proficiency in grade school ELA (29.5%); high school ELA (42.9%)
Met or exceeded proficiency in math (26.2%); high school math (38.9%)
Met or exceeded proficiency in science (60.8%)
Minooka CCSD 201 consists of 7 schools ranging from Pre-K to 8. It takes in Minooka, Channahon, Yorkville, Shorewood, and part of Joliet.
Questionnaire from Brian Pohlman.
Met or exceeded proficiency in ELA (27.6%)
Met or exceeded proficiency in math (23.9%)
Met or exceeded proficiency in science (56%)
Marion CUSD 2 consists of 7 schools ranging from Pre-K to 12. It takes in seven of the twelve townships of Williamson County and one township of Johnson County.
Questionnaire from Stephanie Odle.
Met or exceeded proficiency in grade school ELA (38.1%); high school ELA (30.1%)
Met or exceeded proficiency in math (31.9%); high school math (24.1%)
Met or exceeded proficiency in science (60.6%)
Lemont Township HSD 210 consists of 1 high school.
Questionnaires from Ed McManus, Lisa Buczyna, Jody Benson, and Noal Staubus.
Met or exceeded proficiency in ELA (47.2%)
Met or exceeded proficiency in math (50.6%)
Met or exceeded proficiency in science (74.1%)
Valley View CUSD 365U consists of 20 schools from Pre-K to 12, taking in all of Bolingbrook and Romeoville.
Questionnaire from Candidate Nicole Pelzman.
Met or exceeded proficiency in grade school ELA (32.8%); high school ELA (23.4%)
Met or exceeded proficiency in grade school math (24%); high school math (23%)
Met or exceeded proficiency in science (52.1%)
Decatur SD 61 consists of 15 schools ranging from Pre-K to 12.
Questionnaire from Mark A. Reynolds.
Met or exceeded proficiency in grade school ELA (5.7%); high school ELA (13%)
Met or exceeded proficiency in grade school math (4%); high school math (8.8%)
Met or exceeded proficiency in science (21.6%)
Illinois Valley Community College District 513, which takes in all of Putnam County and parts of Bureau, La Salle, De Kalb, Grundy, Lee, Livingston, and Marshall Counties.
Questionnaire from Candidate Teresa A Schmidt.
Elgin Community College District 509serves the following communities Bartlett, Burlington, East Dundee, Elgin, Gilberts, Hampshire, Lily Lake, Pingree Grove, Plato Center, Sleepy Hollow, South Elgin, St. Charles, Streamwood, Wasco, Wayne, West Dundee, and parts of Algonquin, Campton Hills, Carpentersville, Hanover Park, and Lake in the Hills.
Questionnaire from Candidate Lucio Estrada.
