School Board Elections, April 4, 2023
For Candidate Responses to AAUW Questions,
Scroll Down to “Candidate Responses”.
Why Voting in Your Local Election Matters
Local elections don’t get the publicity of national and statewide races, yet the decisions made by local officials directly impact your day-to-day quality of life and your wallet. Your vote really counts in smaller races where candidates can win or lose by a few votes. Be an informed voter and be sure to vote. Early voting started February 23. Click here for polling places and times.
If you voted by mail in the last election, you will automatically receive a Vote by Mail ballot in the mail. Return it promptly, ensuring that it is postmarked by election day, April 4. Encourage family members who are not currently in town, such as college students, to vote by mail. Every vote counts!
AAUW Wheaton-Glen Ellyn Branch, NFP
As a 501(c)(3) organization, the Wheaton-Glen Ellyn AAUW Branch may not state a candidate preference in a partisan election. In a non-partisan election, the Branch may state which candidates reflect an alignment with AAUW values.
School Board Candidate Questionnaires
Designated Branch leadership created the questions that were emailed to all District 41, District 87, District 89 and CUSD 200, School Board Candidates. The majority of our Branch membership will vote in one or more of these races.
- Glen Ellyn School District 41 (Glen Ellyn, Glendale Heights, Carol Stream, Lombard and Wheaton)
- Glenbard Township High School District 87 (Primarily Glen Ellyn, Carol Stream, Glendale Heights and Lombard)*
- Community Consolidated School District 89 (Glen Ellyn, Lombard and Wheaton)
- Community Unit School District 200 – (Primarily Wheaton and Warrenville)**
* Also covers portions of Bloomingdale, Hanover Park, Addison, Downers Grove, Wheaton and adjacent unincorporated areas.
** Also covers portions of Carol Stream, Winfield, West Chicago and adjacent unincorporated areas.
The questions were based on these AAUW values:
- The importance of age-appropriate sexual health education for grammar, middle school and high school students;
- The support for well-funded public education; and
- The recognition of designated staff and administrators as the decision makers for school library and curriculum choices.
In recent years, these AAUW values have led to our advocacy for the Keeping Youth Safe and Healthy Act; to our opposition to extending the private school voucher system in the “Invest in Kids Act”; and, to our opposition to the censorship of books and materials in public and school libraries.
AAUW contacted each of the 30 candidates running in the four districts where most of our members reside. We received responses from 17 candidates and had no response or “check my website” responses from the other 13 candidates.
Candidate Responses
To read the responses of the 17 candidates who answered our questions, click on the candidate’s name in the lists below. Their responses should help you make up your own mind about the connection of each candidate to AAUW values as well as to other issues that could influence your vote.
Candidates are listed below in the order they will appear on the ballot. Links are provided for responses. Click on any underlined candidate name to see their responses. Candidates who are not underlined did not respond to our questions.
Which Candidates Responses Align with AAUW Values?
The “Members Only” page of the Branch website lists which candidates best reflect AAUW values. This page is password protected and only available to Branch members.
Candidates
Glen Ellyn School District 41
To Serve a Full 4-year Term (Vote for 3)
Jessica Buttimer
Julie Hill
Edward “Ted” Estes
Alison Prochaska
Glenbard Township High School District 87
To Serve an Unexpired 2-year Term (Vote for 1)
Margaret A. DeLaRosa
Jennifer M. Jendras
To Serve a Full 4-year Term (Vote for 3)
John Wilharm
Monika Moro (Response received after deadline. Not reviewed for values alignment.)
Muhammad Islam Choudhary
Jessica Breede
James E. Shannon
Hetal Lee
John Kenwood
Keyanna Kincade
Martha Mueller (Response received after deadline. Not reviewed for values alignment.)
Community Consolidated School District 89
To Serve a Full 4-Year Term (Vote for 3)
Scott Waldbusser
Yannick Koger
Jessica McGee
Kevin McGrane
Juan Peralta
Scott Pope
Community Unit School District 200
To Serve an Unexpired 2 Year Term (Vote for 1)
Kimberly Hobbs
John K. Rutledge
To Serve a Full 4 Year Term (Vote for 3)
Dave Long
Amanda “Amy” Erkenswick
Spencer Garrett
Erik C. Hjerpe
David A. Sohmer
Julie Kulovits
Anjali Bharadwa
Public Policy Interest Group
Contacting our elected officials is part of our AAUW mission. Click here for a guide to help you contact your elected officials.
If you have any questions, click here.
Also, please click here, if you want to belong to the Branch Public Policy Alert Group Email (PAGE) list. The purpose of having such a group is to notify members as soon as possible when legislative actions supported by AAUW-Illinois could be assisted, in turn, by your support through writing, calling, and/or visiting your legislators and/or even our Governor! Letters to newspapers are always encouraged.
AAUW ISSUE ADVOCACY
AAUW’s priorities for legislative action can be found at www.aauw.org/resource/principles-and-priorities/.
Click here for the PDF of 2021-23 Public Policy Priorities.