Endorsements: Amayun, Lundeen, O'Neill, Shannon for Dist. 10 board

Five candidates are running for four school board seats in Itasca School District 10 serving Itasca, Nordic Hills and portions of Wood Dale.

Three incumbents are seeking reelection. They are Casey Amayun, Marty Lundeen and Tina O'Neill. The challengers are Gerrie Aulisa and Jessica Shannon.

Lundeen is the current board president, and Amayun is the secretary. They joined the board in 2017, along with O'Neill.

We endorse incumbents Amayun, Lundeen, O'Neill and newcomer Shannon.

While Aulisa would also make a good choice for the board based on her experience as a teacher and school principal, Shannon has experience working with the current board as chairman of the steering committee for last fall's $27 million referendum. Current board members praised her for the work she did to educate the community about the referendum for Itasca schools. Despite financial hardships felt by many during the pandemic, the community voted to pass the referendum to help modernize and update schools.

Amayun, Lundeen and O'Neill have worked together throughout the pandemic to bring success and progress to District 10. Their continuity and experience will only help to bring a smooth transition to the district as they wrap up this school year and head into the fall.

With fiscal responsibility a priority, Lundeen was instrumental in balancing the district's budget prior to the pandemic. This planning helped the board secure protective equipment for teachers before supplies sold out. A comprehensive approach like this can only benefit the district's schools, staff and students moving forward.