Endorsements: Cain, Haralambopoulos, Turk, Finnegan for DuPage High School District 88 school board

For the DuPage High School District 88 school board, four seats are available on the seven-person board. Incumbents Donna Craft Cain, Tina Haralambopoulos and Mark Turk are joined by candidates Ray Chaidez, Amy Finnegan, Lisa M. Knauf, Glen E Matthews, and Daniel J. Olson.

Four candidates stand out for us.

Cain, 55, a Lombard attorney, brings a wealth of experience from having served as president of the board the past six years. Looking ahead, She highlights the responsibility the board will face to replace key staff with the expected retirement of the school superintendent and the CFO.

Turk, 63, an Addison printing executive, displays a passion for public education combined with extensive knowledge of district initiatives to prepare college-bound and career-bound students alike.

Tina Haralambopoulos, 35, an Addison schoolteacher, brings the unique perspective of her background in teaching. Haralambopoulos has a firm grasp on the leading technology edge in classroom techniques, as well as attention for individualized instruction.

Amy Finnegan, 49, a Lombard real estate agent, wants to ensure the students are getting the most from their time in District 88. She speaks of reaching out to ensure students are taking advantage of AP classes to secure early college credit.

To be sure, there is no shortage of passion for education from the remaining four candidates. The district is indeed fortunate to have such a volume of interest from enthusiastic community members.

Cain, Haralambopoulos, Turk, and Finnegan all offer concrete ideas for initiatives in the term available and they are endorsed.