Lawler appears victorious in District 302 race
Newcomer Aaron Lawler appears to have won a seat on the Kaneland Unit District 302 school board, according to unofficial results.
Lawler was one of four candidates vying for three seats, along with fellow newcomer Noah Little and incumbents Shana Sparber and Pedro Rivas. The incumbents will retain their seats and Little is the odd man out because election law only allows a maximum of three board members from the same township to serve on the school board. Lawler and Little live in Sugar Grove Township, as do two current board members. Sparber and Rivas live in Kaneville and Blackberry townships respectively.
Returns from Kane County, the Aurora Election Commission and DeKalb County show Lawler with a total of 1,415 votes to Little's 1,367. It's unclear if early voting totals and vote-by-mail ballots are included in those totals, and official results won't be known for weeks.
Lawler teaches humanities at Waubonsee Community College. He previously taught in the Plainfield school district, and writes science fiction and fantasy novels for young adults. Lawler said, among other things, that the district needs to improve its communication with residents, including participating in social media more and by broadcasting school board meetings.
Sparber is a certified public accountant and auditor. Rivas is a quality assurance analyst.