Two apply for Kaneland school board vacancy
Two women from Sugar Grove have applied for a vacancy on the Kaneland Unit District 302 board of education.
The school board is expected to choose Lindy Kleivo of Bellevue Lane or Meg Junk of Oxford Avenue to fill the open seat at its Sept. 24 meeting.
The person chosen will replace Peter Lopatin, who resigned last month because he's moving from the area to take a job in Maryland. She will serve through April, when Lopatin's term expires.
Kleivo is the founder and publisher of Glancer Magazine. She has three daughters: one in preschool, one in elementary school and one in high school. According to her application, her middle daughter has Down syndrome.
"As a parent who has attended many IEP (individualized education plan) meetings, I also possess a great knowledge of the Americans With Disabilities Act and know firsthand the importance of inclusion and equality, with a passion for securing quality programs to better the educational experience of special-needs children in the district," she wrote.
Kleivo has been a Girl Scout and Brownies leader, and chairman of a fall fair at Kaneland John Shields Elementary school.
Junk is the student life coordinator at Waubonsee Community College, where she has worked for three years. She worked for Wichita State University for five years, first as a program adviser, then as fraternity life coordinator.
She has organized an annual fundraiser for the Aurora Interfaith Food Pantry, helped plan an annual community cleanup day, and done volunteer work with the Salvation Army, Mutual Ground shelter, the Kane County Forest Preserve District and Marklund. She has a preschool son.
"As a citizen, parent and higher education professional, I care about public education and see how crucial it is to the lives of all ages of students with whom I engage," she wrote in her application. "Furthermore, I am aware that excellent schools affect civic pride and participation as well as well as a sense of responsibility to one's community. ... I very much believe it is our duty as parents and citizens to not only educate but also to instill a sense of civic duty in our children and our students, so that our communities may continue to grow."