Will COVID-Weary School Boards See Higher Turnover This Election In Illinois?

MCHENRY COUNTY, IL — State education officials are curious to see what the turnover rate for school boards will be this upcoming election, as several new candidates vie for open seats in many packed races across the Chicago area, including McHenry County.

At the same time, incumbents who made it through heated school board meetings — some even facing safety issues and threats from parents peeved over COVID policies — are ready to hand the baton to someone else.

Thomas Bertrand, executive director at the Illinois Association of School Boards, told Patch Friday the typical turnover rate for school board races during an election is 20 percent. That refers to the rate of incumbents who either lose their seat to a different candidate or who decide not to run at all.

Last election, which was in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bertrand said school officials expected a higher turnover rate, but many incumbents stayed the course and that rate stayed around 20 percent. This election, he said, may be different.

"We will see. I think a lot of board members hung in there and endured during the pandemic, and now that we are having a return to normalcy, they are tired," Bertrand said. "Some board members, they wanted to see the district through the pandemic and now it's time to hand it off to someone else."

Locally, there is high interest in several school board races, including Community Unit School District 158, which has nine candidates running for three open seats; and Community Unit School District 300, where eight candidates are vying for four open seats. Community Unit School District 47 also has seven candidates vying for three seats, and Fox River Grove Grade School District 3 has six candidates vying for three seats.

Meanwhile, many more school districts do not have enough candidates running this election, Bertrand said.

The differences vary by communities and much of the interest, and disinterest, is still fueled by COVID-related issues and school board meeting headaches, Bertrand said. During the pandemic, parents voiced strong opinions regarding thoughts on masking and other policies effecting their children.

Districts where school boards dealt with higher stress levels during meetings may see fewer incumbents deciding to run again, according to school officials. Meanwhile, more interest from parents and the community on how school boards are run and district policies is fueling interest in various districts.

"But certainly where you saw contentious board meetings, there seems to be more interest," said Bertrand.

Joe Stevens, who was first appointed to the D300 board in 2006 and then elected to his current seat in 2007, will not be running for re-election this year. Stevens told Patch late last year that after 17 years on the board, it's time for "new blood."

Stevens, who is 77 years old, says he will miss being part of the school board.

"In reality, I will miss it, but these last few years have been especially difficult with the pandemic, and a very vocal minority who attack us on a regular basis," he said. "My hope is that whomever replaces me on the board will have one goal and only one goal, the truly best interests socially, emotionally, and educationally of the children of this district."

• Parents Threaten, Swear At Teacher, Officials: District 300 Board
• Parents Angry Over Mask Mandate Booted From D300 Meeting
• D300 Parents Rally For In-Person Learning

Leslie Lemarca, who was first elected to the school board in 2019, will not be seeking a second term, but two other incumbents are among the minority or candidates vying for the three open seats: Stephen J. Fiorentino will be seeking his third term and Nancy Zettler, the board's vice president, will vie for a second term.

The six additional D300 candidates are newcomers.

• 8 Candidates File To Run For D300 School Board

For those who will be stepping down, especially those who have served on school boards for several years, Bertrand said despite any disagreements, community members should be respectful of their decision.

"You should be grateful that these people are volunteering their time. No one signed up for what they went through during COVID," Bertrand said. "You have to respect that they finished out their terms and then decided to hand it off to someone else to continue that work."

The Illinois Association of School Boards, which is a non-profit organization focused on protecting and preserving local school board governance, has conducted trainings on managing meetings amid conflict, safety concerns and more for school board members across the state in recent years. School boards will continued to be supported on the benefits of "good governance," Bertrand said.

"Good governance results in better outcomes for kids, and we all want that," he said.