U-46 candidate forum set for March 14

Members of the public who want to learn more about the men and women running for a seat on the Elgin Area School District U-46 Board of Education are invited to attend a candidate forum on Thursday, March 14.

The Citizens' Advisory Council is hosting the event ahead of the April 2 Consolidated Election. The moderator will be Madhu Krishnamurthy, a senior staff writer and education writer for the Daily Herald.

The board is responsible for determining the policies which guide the operation of U-46. Elected members serve four-year terms and are not paid for their services. It is a nonpartisan position.

The U-46 board has seven members, along with a nonvoting student adviser. Four seats are up for election on April 2; voters in U-46 will choose up to four candidates on their ballots for the board. The top four vote-getters will be elected.

A total of eight candidates filed in December to run for a seat on the board. They are: incumbents John T. Devereux of Bartlett; Susan E. Kerr of Bartlett; and Jeannette Ward of West Chicago; as well as Daniel Hancock of Hanover Park; Eva J. Porter of Hanover Park; Tina Rio of Bartlett; Ina Silva-Sobolewski of Hanover Park; and Kathleen (Kate) Thommes of Elgin.

The candidate forum is organized by the CAC's Candidate Forum Ad-hoc Committee. A Spanish interpreter will be available at the event.

It will be held in the auditorium of the Dream Academy, which is adjacent to the Educational Services Center, 355 E. Chicago St., Elgin. Attendees should enter through the ESC main doors, and they will then be directed to the auditorium on the second floor.

The forum will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 14. Those attending are asked to arrive a few minutes early to find seating and get settled before the forum gets underway.