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Endorsements: Balgeman, Balzer and Doyle for District 33 board

Five candidates are on the ballot for three 4-year seats on the West Chicago Elementary District 33 board.

Incumbent Phebe Balzer, who is seeking a second term, and newcomer Rita Balgeman, who works in market research, are both thoughtful candidates who hope to better engage the community while improving district facilities. We endorse them.

Newcomer Tom Doyle, a former teacher and current administrator in Carol Stream Elementary District 93, has been involved in contract negotiations and has the credentials for a board seat. His initial lack of responsiveness to our candidate questionnaire and phone calls gives us pause, but we give him a qualified endorsement.

Christian Rivera, who teaches Spanish at Wheaton Academy and has been involved with the District 33 Parent Leadership Team, recently was appointed to the board to fill the vacancy created after Karina Villa was elected to the state House. His name remains on the April 2 ballot, however, and if he finishes in the top three, he will have to resign his appointed position, which is set to expire in 2021, and be sworn in to his own seat, according to an attorney for the DuPage County clerk's election division. District 33 would then have another vacancy to fill.

Rivera isn't actively campaigning and did not fill out the Daily Herald's candidate questionnaire.

Candidate Carl G. Meyer is a former District 33 director of facilities and grounds who says the district needs to be more responsible financially. Some of his questionnaire responses, however, raise concerns that he would not work effectively with the district administration.

Phebe Balzer
Tom Doyle
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