Five seats filled in District 34

In the race for the five open seats on the Antioch Elementary School District 34 board, incumbent Kenneth Miller was elected for the two-year term, beating Edward Walczak.

For the four-year seats, incumbents Diane McMahon and Tamara Neumann were elected, while incumbent Brent Bluthardt lost. Newcomers Kristine Bolin and Scott Soltis were winners, beating Bluthardt and newcomers Jerry Allen and James Rapp.

Unofficial totals show Miller beating Walczak, 1,531 to 1,467. For the four-year terms, Bolin led with 2,091, followed by McMahon with 1,779 votes, Soltis with 1,650 votes and Neumann with 1,648 votes. Trailing were Walczak with 1,467, Allen with 1,293, Rapp with 1,261 and Bluthardt with 1,119.

District 34 was in the news earlier this year after police arrested seventh-grade teacher Kenneth Johnson. Johnson, a 20-year social studies teacher at the school, was charged with possession of child pornography

District officials held a special meeting within days of the arrest to answer questions from parents. The event became an election issue, prompting discussion about the screening process and background checks the district has in place. Some parents and teachers called for stricter controls and suggested potential employees also undergo psychological testing.