Endorsements: Brown-Dykstra, Kerns, Stone for West Aurora Unit Dist. 129 board

Four candidates are running for three four-year terms on the West Aurora Unit District 129 school board in the April 6 election.

Richard Kerns and Valerie Brown Dykstra are running for reelection. Julie Stone and Jennifer Cresse are running for the first time.

The past year has been a challenge for students, parents, teachers and the school board in District 129 as in all school districts.

Incumbents Brown-Dykstra and Kerns and challenger Stone believe the board and administration did a very good job of quickly adapting in responding to the pandemic and acted with the best interests of the students. Challenger Cresse has a differing opinion, saying the board did not respond well to the needs of every family in the community. She believes the board did not push the district to provide equitable opportunities for students who need to learn virtually.

There was certainly no playbook for how to conduct school during a pandemic, but even before the situation became a crisis, District 129 completed an initiative to provide a laptop or tablet to each student. This was a tremendous benefit when students needed to suddenly pivot to long-term remote learning. Plans often had to be adjusted as rapidly changing guidelines came from the county and state and the CDC set new standards.

No plan could be perfect for an unforeseeable situation like this, but the District 129 board always kept the best interest of the students at the heart of their decisions. As part of the team, incumbents Kerns and Brown-Dykstra have earned the chance to finish what they started when the pandemic hit, and their experience will be especially valuable as the district works to put the crisis behind it. Stone and Cresse are both passionate about the district, but we find Stone's finance background to be a better fit for the board's immediate and future needs.

Brown-Dykstra, Kerns and Stone are endorsed.