Endorsements: Ader, Hunt and Khan for Palatine Elementary School District 15

This endorsement is a consensus opinion of the Daily Herald Editorial Board.

Massive changes lie ahead for Palatine Elementary School District 15, where a successful $93 million ballot question in November set the stage for all-day kindergarten, building improvements, new school boundaries and the replacement of junior highs with middle schools. It's an exciting but challenging time for the district — one that calls for steady, thoughtful leadership from the school board.

Incumbents Samantha Bray Ader, Wenda Hunt and Zubair Khan offer that and more. Their experience is an asset, as is their clearheaded understanding of the board's role in balancing the needs of students, parents, teachers and administrators.

They also bring a range of expertise and backgrounds to the board. Ader is a leader with Latinos for Education, Khan is an attorney and lifelong district resident and Hunt is a pharmacist. Voters will be well-served by keeping all three on the board.

The incumbents face challenges from Christopher Dargis, a businessman who previously ran for Congress, and Justin Hegy, a regional manager for the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. Both are informed and well-spoken, but their focus on “parental rights” with regard to the curriculum raises some concerns, especially given the unrealistic expectations they suggest imposing on educators to inform parents of nearly every detail of a class curriculum.

Ader, Hunt and Khan have helped oversee a challenging period for the district and are well positioned to manage the complicated new demands that lie ahead, all while striving to accommodate and represent the interests of all children and parents. They are endorsed.