Incumbents set to return to St. Charles District 303 board

It appears St. Charles Unit District 303 school board members Becky McCabe, Joseph Lackner and Matthew Kuschert are headed back to the board along with newcomer Thomas Lentz.

McCabe was running for a second term, while Lackner and Kuschert were appointed to the board in 2021 to fill two vacant seats. According to unofficial votes from Kane and DuPage counties on Tuesday, Lackner was the top vote-getter with 4,567 votes followed by Kuschert with 4,278 votes and McCabe with 3,966 votes.

Seven candidates were running for the three four-year terms open on the board. In addition, three candidates were running for an unexpired two-year term.

Challenger Dolores Van Hiel received 3,327 votes followed by Lauren Duddles with 2,503 votes, Barbara Diepenbrock with 1,607 votes and Elias Palacios with 770 votes.

Thomas Lentz, who had served on the School Board's Citizens Advisory Committee before it was disbanded in August as the district launched a community engagement plan, was the top vote-getter for the two-year term. According to unofficial results from Kane and DuPage counties, he received 3,578 votes followed by Mike Backer with 2,972 votes and Richard Rivard with 1,018 votes.

Lackner attributed his win to the time and energy he has put into being a board member.

"I think folks have noticed that," he said. "They've noticed that the board has taken a very serious look at the district over the last year and a half. The board has said, 'How is it that we can do better?' And I think the community has watched the board as a whole do that."

McCabe said she thinks the voters recognized her work on the board.

"Matt and Joe and I work really well together," she said. "We don't always agree, but we are really transparent about our discourse."