Glen Ellyn District 41 among hot races in DuPage
It's only the first day of filing for the April election, but it appears Glen Ellyn Elementary District 41 may have the hottest school board race in DuPage County.
Nine candidates filed Monday morning to run for three open seats on the district's school board, and none of them are incumbents.
The first candidates to file were Kurt Buchholz, Mary Campagna, Stephanie Clark, Jeff Cooper, Bruce Currie and two couples - Robert and Erin Dieter and Kevin and Jennifer Rath.
That's a much different picture in Naperville Unit District 203, where three seats also are up, but only one person - incumbent Terry Fielden, who is seeking a third term - has filed.
Only one incumbent filed to run for the three open seats on the DuPage County Regional Board of School Trustees, but several newcomers already have emerged.
Laura Pollastrini, who currently represents Wayne Township, will appear on the ballot alongside newcomers Paula McGowen and Patrick Ryan of Glen Ellyn, Jerry Allen of Wheaton and Catherine Hanzelin of Naperville.
Two Wheaton Warrenville Unit District 200 incumbents - Jim Gambaiani and Jim Vroman - are running again, along with newcomers Chris Crabtree of Winfield and Gary Tonn of Wheaton for three available seats on that board.
Crabtree currently serves as president of the Wheaton Warrenville PTA Council. Gambaiani and Vroman are both seeking second terms. There are three 4-year seats available.
The three Indian Prairie Unit District 204 incumbents - board President Lori Price and Mark Rising, both of Aurora, and Justin Karubas of Naperville - were the only three people to file Monday morning for three seats on that board.
In Glenbard High School District 87, incumbent Tom Trefilek of Lombard, who is seeking a third term, will be listed on the ballot with L.J. Spasovski of Glen Ellyn. There are three spots available on the board.
Three incumbents on the Lake Park High School District 108 school board - Bob Marino, P.J. Olzen and Barbara Layer - all filed to run for re-election. Ray Kubalewski of Medinah said he also decided to enter the race because the board "needs the change."
"I don't think we're moving in the right direction," he said, adding that district spending is one of the issues motivating him to run.
Kubalewski filed his paperwork at 8 a.m. Monday so he could be in the lottery that will determine which candidate gets the top spot on the ballot.
"There's three current board members running for three spots," he said. "Ballot position is going to be key."
This was the first year that all school board candidates in the county were required to file at the DuPage County Election Commission. The filing period continues through Monday, Dec. 22.