U-46 board is hottest school board race in Kane County
An earlier version of this story should have stated that Hampshire-based Community Unit District 300 has four seats available on the board, each for a 4-year term.
Two of the largest school districts in Kane County have opposite problems in the spring election: a surplus of candidates or too few.
Elgin Area School District U-46, the state's second-largest school district, takes the lead with 11 candidates, including two incumbents vying for four, 4-year terms on the school board in the April 7 election.
Candidates for the 4-year seats are Jeanette Ward of West Chicago, Phil Costello of Bartlett, Cody Holt of Elgin, Larry Bury of Bartlett, Arisleyda Taylor of Streamwood, Kai Rush of Elgin, Susan Kerr of Bartlett, Ed Novak of Bartlett, Brian Sauvageau of Bartlett, and incumbents Jennifer Shroder and Traci Ellis, both of Elgin.
Rush, Holt and Costello also are trying for one unexpired 2-year term.
Hampshire-based Community Unit District 300 is one candidate shy, with incumbents Joe Stevens of Dundee Township and Steve Fiorentino of Algonquin Township, and former school board member Susie Kopacz of Hampshire vying for three of four seats available on the board, each for a 4-year term.
Cary Elementary District 26 in McHenry County has a similar problem with only one candidate - incumbent Scott Coffey - and three, 4-year school board seats to be filled. Incumbents Jason Larry and Kevin Carrick are not running for re-election.
It's a stark contrast from the 2013 election in which the district had four incumbents up for re-election and five challengers.
St. Charles Unit District 303 voters will see more options on the ballot for school board members than any other recent election. Nine candidates filed for the three expiring seats in 2015.
All three incumbents, Kathy Hewell, Nick Manheim and Judith McConnell, are seeking re-election. Four of the six challengers may be familiar names for St. Charles-area voters.
Lori Linkimer and Mike Vyzral are former District 303 board members. Richard Leidig, Jr., also ran for the school board in 2013. Stephen Bruesewitz is a longtime member of the St. Charles Democratic Party. Jennifer Ann Reeder and Lowell Yarusso are newcomers.
Batavia Unit District 101 has eight candidates vying for three seats on the school board. Candidates are incumbents Melanie Impastato and Cathy Dremel, and challengers Michelle Olache, Ron Rechenmacher, William "Bill" Gabriel, John Dryden, Christopher Lowe and Ellen Knautz, all of Batavia. Incumbent Gregg Hodge is not running for re-election.
The Burlington Central Unit District 301 school board race, though uncontested, also has several newcomer candidates, including Mitchell Penar of Elgin Township, Janet Marlovits of Campton Township and Jeff Gorman of St. Charles, and incumbent Laura Rabe of Elgin vying for four seats.
Two incumbents and three challengers are vying for three, 4-year terms on the Barrington Area Unit District 220 school board. Candidates are incumbents Joseph Ruffolo of South Barrington and Brian Battle of Barrington, and challengers Alex Bernardi of North Barrington, and Angela Wilcox and Michael Shackleton, both of Barrington.