School board races contested in districts 15, 54 and 211, but two candidacy objections filed

The April 1 board of education elections for Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 and its two elementary feeder districts are contested, but a pair of nomination challenges could change that in the 211 race.

None of the incumbents in District 211 whose terms are ending are seeking reelection. Senior board member and current president Anna Klimkowicz, along with first-term members Curtis Bradley and Tim McGowan, will leave the board voluntarily in the spring.

Seeking their three seats are former candidate Jane Russell of Rolling Meadows, former Schaumburg Township Elementary District 54 board member Kenneth Van Dyke of Roselle, Jean Baptiste Benjamin Hirwa of Schaumburg, and Anne Lopez and Michael Prokopij of Hanover Park.

According to the Cook County clerk’s website, Hirwa and Prokopij are facing unresolved challenges to their nomination petitions.

Van Dyke is the objector in Hirwa’s case, and former District 211 board member Ed Yung is the objector to Prokopij’s petition. Following hearings on Thursday, both cases were classified as under advisement on Friday.

All the incumbents in District 54 and Palatine Township Elementary District 15 are seeking reelection, but facing a small number of challengers.

A’Seret Dokubo of Schaumburg is the only newcomer in the race for four seats in District 54, which she shares with incumbents Debbie Schmidt, Nicholas Scipione and Bob Kaplan, all of Schaumburg, and James Pye of Hoffman Estates.

The two new candidates in District 15 are Eric Bachmann and Robert Myers, both of Palatine. They’re seeking seats on the board amid the incumbent candidates of Lisa Beth Szczupaj, Frank Annerino and Anthony Wang, all of Palatine, and James Taylor of Arlington Heights.