Owens, Smith, Noland win seats on U-46 board

Newcomer Melissa Owens, school board President Donna Smith and board member Veronica Noland won 4-year terms on the Elgin Area School District U-46 board Tuesday, unofficial results show.

With all precincts in Cook, DuPage and Kane counties counted, Owens of Bartlett had 9,723 votes and Smith of Hanover Park had 9,314 votes, followed closely by trustee Noland of Elgin with 9,111.

Trailing were incumbent Cody Holt of Elgin with 5,654 votes and challenger Enoch Essendrop of Elgin with 3,987.

During the campaign, the candidates debated school choice, charter schools, perceived racism in the curriculum and the district's transgender locker room/restroom access policy.

As of Sept. 6, the district has allowed a transgender middle school student to use the locker room and restroom corresponding with the person's gender identity. The number of transgender students in the district is unknown.

Holt and Essendrop supported revisiting the policy, while Smith, Owens and Noland said they see no need to change it.

Holt, 25, a 2010 graduate of Larkin High School, was elected in April 2015 to a 2-year term. Essendrop, 19, is a student at Providence Baptist College in Elgin.

Smith, 59, has served on the board since 2001; Noland, 50, is an alumna of the district's Hispanic Parent Leadership Institute first elected in 2013; and Owens, 48, is chairwoman of the U-46 Citizens' Advisory Council.

The candidates also differed on school choice and support for charter schools.

The U-46 administration recommends denying a second proposal for an Elgin charter school, saying it falls short of addressing the needs of the district's diverse and at-risk students. A 2014 proposal by the same Elgin group was rejected by the school board and the Illinois State Charter School Commission.

Owens, Smith and Noland expressed concern over the financial impact a charter school would have on the district. Holt and Essendrop are strong proponents of charter schools and favor "school choice."