Skala to face Snow in two-man District 158 race

Former board President Mike Skala and board member Larry Snow will face off in a two-man race for a seat on the Huntley Unit District 158 school board.

After April 7, one of them will be off the board.

The two incumbents are the only candidates who decided on Monday to seek the sole two-year seat on the April 7 ballot.

The five other school board candidates are all seeking one of the four four-year seats. The crystallization of the April ballot means no more than three incumbents will keep their seats in the spring, while at least two newcomers will win seats on the board.

It also means that none of the candidates are running uncontested.

Skala said the time commitment - not his assessment of the likely competition - was the main factor in his decision to pursue the two-year seat.

"It's time away from my wife and kids, which are very important to me," Skala said. "To me, the competition is something that voters have to decide."

Lake in the Hills parent Paul Troy was considering running for the two-year seat but decided Monday to seek a four-year term.

"With both daughters now in the district, I thought the time and opportunity was right to make a long-term commitment to this district," Troy wrote in an e-mail.

Snow did not return a call seeking comment.