Endorsements: Chung, Kowalczyk, Ciok, Bull for Dist. 57 school board

This editorial has been updated to correct that four positions are open in the district race and to add Kevin Bull as an endorsed candidate.

The race for school board in Mount Prospect Elementary School District 57 features six candidates for four available seats, and it is noteworthy to see that for the most part, it is not the board's COVID-19 response that stirred so much interest.

To be sure, there are sharp criticism and second-guesses of some of District 57's COVID-19 decisions. But these come from board members seeking reelection as well as challengers, and, more importantly for the long term, they do not appear to be the driving factor behind anyone's candidacy. In all cases, that appears to be pure interest in the educational well-being of district children and the overall management of school operations.

In choosing from the field, the two incumbents, Vicki Chung and Eileen Kowalczyk, particularly stand out. They demonstrate clear leadership skills and deft familiarity with facilities, program and budgeting issues facing the schools.

Remaining candidates each bring qualities that could be of use to the board. As director of building and grounds for the Franklin Park School District, Robert Hattenhauer, for instance, has some inside experience on matters involving facilities operations. Patent attorney Kevin Bull offers a special focus on responsiveness to taxpayers. Jennifer Ciok is an education specialist working with a University of Chicago program on middle grades, and Corrin L. Bennet-Kill is a stay-at-home parent with enthusiasm for helping the district emerge from the COVID-19 disruption and effectively manage resources voters approved for addressing needs at the district's buildings, particularly Lincoln Middle School.

Among these challengers, we are most drawn to the combination of experience in education, deep civic involvement and commitment to children we see in Ciok. Bull and Bennet-Kill also bring appealing independence and an earnest attention to district matters, but we are ultimately swayed by Bull's assertive approach to monitoring the work of a new incoming administration. His voice is an important one to be included in board deliberations.

Most school board candidates, of course, declare a priority for children's education, and that is certainly true of all the candidates for District 57 school board. But we find that Kowalczyk, Chung, Ciok and Bull provide the best mixture of authoritative leadership, firsthand experience and vision for the district's future. They get our endorsement.