Endorsements: Elmore, Orozco, Stone, Svoboda for Carol Stream CCSD 93

In Carol Stream Community Consolidated School District 93, five candidates are running for four 4-year terms as school board trustee.

The field includes one newcomer, Rich Davis, and four holdovers from previous elections or appointments - Clay Elmore, Rogelio Orozco, Scott Stone and Terry Svoboda.

Davis, who owns an independent insurance agency, brings an outsider's perspective to the board not only as a first-time candidate but also as the only person running who does not currently have children in the district, though his three grown children all matriculated through District 93. "I'm going to bring a different perspective because of my age," Davis, 60, says. "I know I'm going to be neutral, because I have no agenda. I'm running to serve our community."

Board members with agendas can sometimes be a bad thing, but they can also ensure that all viewpoints get representation so long as the board works together in a reasonable manner. And this one does, the four incumbents agree. "I think we're blessed," Stone says. "We work really well together." Stone, who has one child with special needs and another in the magnet program, says both children have benefitted from the programs the district offers.

Elmore agrees regarding the board's dynamic. "It's a great group of people that serves our community well," he says, pointing to to the current emphasis on STEM instruction as his main focus.

Orozco, who is a police officer, is a member of the Dist. 93 diversity committee. "As a person with English as a second language, diversity within the schools is very important to me," he says. One change he would advocate for is less testing. "I feel progression is a better measure of their success as a student," he says.

Svoboda is a member of the board's finance committee, He says the district is "on very solid ground" financially and that is good news for everyone. "School districts affect everything from local business development to property values," he says.

Having more qualified candidates than open seats is a good problem to have. Considering the success the district is having, there is no reason to suggest a change from the incumbents in District 93. Elmore, Orozco, Stone and Svoboda are endorsed, though we hope Davis will continue to be involved in school leadership in the district if he is not elected.