Daily Herald endorsements: Kaplan, Pye, Schmidt and Scipione for District 54

Voters in Schaumburg Township Elementary District 54 have an enviable yet difficult choice in the April 1 election: Five highly qualified, well-informed candidates are vying for four seats.

All but one are district alums.

Four seasoned and committed incumbents are seeking to retain their positions, while newcomer A’Seret Dokubo is looking to bring a fresh perspective to the board in the district she grew up in and that her two young children will attend. All five are impressive, and voters can rest assured that a vote for any of these thoughtful, enthusiastic candidates will be a good one.

Dokubo, who’s worked as a special-education teacher and administrator, said she benefited from her District 54 education as one of only a few students of color. She wants to make sure that all children feel they belong and see themselves reflected in the district. She would be a wonderful asset to the board.

Giving her that chance, however, means losing one of the incumbents, and all four — Bob Kaplan, Jim Pye, Debbie Schmidt and Nicholas Scipione — are dedicated, passionate and worthy of another term.

Kaplan is a retired educator who’s been appointed twice and elected twice to the District 54 board. Pye, the current board president and a retired real estate professional, is seeking his third term. Scipione, a science teacher and department head in Glenbard Township High School District 87, has been on the board since 2019 and previously served on the Schaumburg Township District Library board and as a Schaumburg plan commissioner. Schmidt, an IT professional and the only candidate that did not attend school in the district, is seeking her second term and has lived in the community for 20 years.

Choosing among these candidates is tough, but experience gives the incumbents an edge, especially as districts across the nation face federal uncertainty over the fate of the U.S. Department of Education, Title I funding and special education assistance.

Kaplan, Pye, Schmidt and Scipione are endorsed.