Endorsement: Burk, McGrath, Lee, Owen for Dist. 207 school board

With the hazing scandal at Maine West still dominating conversation, Maine Township High School District 207 is fortunate that two school board members who have been a vital part of the discussion are willing to stay on. Eldon Burk, a retired Maine West administrator, and Margaret McGrath, an attorney, have both addressed the controversy with quiet urgency, serious questions and at bottom, a no-excuses manner. For the final two seats up for election, we’d like one to go to Carla Owen, who was appointed to the board in December and has been a thoughtful, hardworking member. After that, every choice among newcomers is a good one. Mary Childers is a former Des Plaines alderman with a lot of community service. Jeff Spero is on the District 207 community advisory committee and is treasurer of Immanuel Lutheran School in Des Plaines. Sean Story is a company CFO and COO and a Maine South graduate. However, our choice is Jin Lee, director of the Albany Park Community Center, a nonprofit social service agency. He and his family have lived for many years in the Maine East portion of the district, an area underrepresented on the board. With Lee’s election, the school board will begin to reflect a little of the diversity in the District 207 student body — an important distinction for a board overseeing a district that is a diverse melting pot.