Three incumbents, one newcomer lead in Diamond Lake District 76

Incumbents in Diamond Lake Elementary District 76 had a strong showing Tuesday, with three of four in the running for re-election.

With all 10 precincts reporting, unofficial results showed incumbent Brian Walker ahead of the pack with 267 votes. He was followed by incumbent Michael Kastler, newcomer Joy Hail and incumbent and board President Lisa Yaffe with 257, 248 and 228 votes respectively. Six candidates were running for four 4-year terms in the Mundelein-based district.

Walker was seeking his second full term. Kastler is a newcomer having been appointed last November. Hail, an attorney, served as president of the parent teacher organization the last two school years. Yaffe, the school board president, was appointed in 2009 and elected in 2011.

A big issue facing the board is the upcoming selection of a new superintendent to replace Joseph Petrella, who decided not to extend his contract. Another huge issue is a decision on a master facilities plan, which at this point features several options, including closing one or two schools. An assessment has shown it will cost more than $19 million in the next 10 years to keep the three district schools functioning.