Downers Grove Election: Candidate Profiles, Results, Full Coverage

Your complete guide to the 2013 consolidated election in Downers Grove.

Election Day 2013 is here. Stay with Patch throughout the day for election information and full results for contested races, including the Downers Grove Village Council. See below for information on the upcoming election and a breakdown of every race, with links to individual candidate profiles. Downers Grove Village Council (choose three) Community High School District 99 (choose four) Downers Grove Township Supervisor (choose one) Downers Grove Township Clerk (choose one) Downers Grove Township Highway Commissioner (choose one) Downers Grove Township Trustee (choose four) Center Cass School District 66 Board Member (choose four) Editor's Note: Martin Gorski and Henry Jakobsze both announced their withdrawl from the race. However, because…

• Photos (1)

Letter to the Editor

Letter to the Editor: District 99 Board President Bill White Seeks Re-Election

Downers Grove Patch welcomes letters to the editor. Letters may be submitted to Local Editor Amanda Luevano at amanda@patch.com.

Downers Grove Patch accepts letters to the editor, which will be posted on the site weekly. The following was submitted by Community High School District 99 Board President Bill White, who filed paperwork for the April 9, 2013 consolidated election Monday morning. If you're interested in submitting a letter, e-mail Downers Grove Patch Editor Amanda Luevano at amanda@patch.com. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  To the editor: On Monday, I filed for re-election to the Community High School District 99 Board of Education. I am running for re-election because I believe strong, locally controlled public schools are a vital cornerstone of our community. I believe I have provided calm, steady leadership while promoting the idea that all District 99 …

• Photos (1)

D99 Passes Nepotism, Conflict of Interest Policies

Contentious issue finally sees resolution.

After months of discussion, accusations and in-fighting, the D99 board finally voted on changes to its nepotism and conflict of interest policies Monday night, adopting both. The changes to the nepotism policy passed unanimously, and the conflict of interest policy passed 5-2, with board members Terry Pavesich and Julia Beckman voting against it. The conflict of interest policy reads: The primary responsibility for knowing, determining the applicability of, and acting upon the conflict of interest provisions of the law rests with the Board member who faces a potential conflict. It is the policy of this Board that each Board member should look to his or her own conscience and applicable law and regulation at the time a potential conflict …

•  3 Comments
• Photos (1)

The DG Report

Elaine Johnson: Let Voters Decide Whether Conflict of Interest Exists

District 99 board has a history of calling out dissenting members' conflicts while ignoring others, such as a $1,500 campaign donation from the DGEA.

I’ve been writing about Downers Grove government and politics since 2003 and every once in a while, that longer view lends perspective to current developments. Last week, I recounted the history of the District 99 nepotism policy, which appears to some observers to have been crafted, since 2007, with the intention of marginalizing board member Debbie Boyle, whose brother is a district teacher. She currently serves as the board vice president and is a candidate for the 81st House district. I didn’t intend to revisit the issue, but Wednesday’s TribLocal story convinced me to reconsider. The story reveals that members of the 2007 Leadership for All 99 slate accepted campaign donations from the Downers Grove Education Association ($1,500) and …

•  2 Comments
• Photos (1)

The DG Report

Elaine Johnson: Nepotism Debate Looks Like Politics as Usual

The District 99 policy, currently up for revision, has a long and checkered history.

Like many of you, I’ve been watching with interest the public debate surrounding the proposed revisions to the District 99 nepotism policy. While a lot of heat has been generated on Patch and other venues—TribLocal, Facebook, Twitter—what’s largely missing from the commentary is a necessary historical perspective. Anyone who has watched the District 99 board as closely as I have over the past few years is aware that "nepotism" has been a major issue since Debbie Boyle became a candidate for the board in 2007 and won election in 2009. Boyle’s brother is a social studies teacher and head football coach at North High School—a fact her opponents seized upon during both of her board campaigns. Indeed, during a 2009 candidates’ forum at North, …

•  5 Comments
• Photos (1)

Wendy Foster

7:08 am on Friday, October 21, 2011

Thanks for objectively reporting on a pretty complicated history Elaine. Glad you're back!!   more ›

D99 Releases Administrative Salaries

Report released at Monday's board meeting.

At its Monday night board meeting, the Community High School District 99 2011-2012 Administrative Salary Compensation report was released, detailing the salaries of administrators and department heads. Please see the tables below for salary, pension, and other compensation information.   *TRS: Teacher Retirement System **Other forms of compensation key: 1.Travel stipend—$250 monthly 2.Travel stipend—$57.50 monthly 3. Disability insurance (.0024 percent of credible earnings) 4. Professional dues (one national and one state organization) 5. District cell phone or cell phone reimbursement option 6. While D99 administrators do not have a vacation or sick day but out option, unused vacation days must be paid out upon termination of employment. …

•  13 Comments
• Photos (1)

Chad D. Walz

1:05 pm on Wednesday, September 21, 2011

I disagree that it’s a gravy train, but there is growing resentment among many tax payers who feel that teachers get paid fairly and get very generous benefits in an economy where many of these benefits are being cut in the private sector. I think in times like these teachers and their supporters should lay off the rhetoric and realize they have a good job with almost 100% job security. Again, I …   more ›

District 99 Sees Boost in Finances, AP Participation

Superintendent delivers State of the District at Monday board meeting.

Presentations on the state of District 99 and its finances, as well as the termination of a tenured teacher highlighted the July 18 Community High School District 99 meeting. Year-end finances contain 'positive surprises' A report presented at the meeting comparing year-to-date finances of the current and previous fiscal year showed an increase of nearly $3 million in operating funds this year. Actual revenues collected were 3 percent over budget this fiscal year, spurred in part by the district receiving roughly $2 million more in state aid than anticipated. Expenditures also decreased.  District shows significant gains in AP test participation The  number of District 99 students taking Advanced Placement tests during the 2010-2011 school…

• Photos (1)

District 99 Board to Consider Purchase of Prince Street Property

Home would be the final lot of eight targeted for acquisition in 1998.

Updated: 6/21: This resolution was unanimously approved by the District 99 School Board Monday night. The District 99 School Board will be asked tonight to approve a resolution to purchase the last of eight lots targeted by the district in 1998 as part of a plan to expand its 22-acre campus. After more than a year of negotiations, the owners of 4440 Prince Street have agreed to sell the property to the district for $385,000.  "Even though we believe the actual market price to be no more than $330,000, we recommend accepting this offer considering several aspects," Controller Mark Staehlin wrote in a June 16 memo to the board. Herbert Bade, who owns the property with his wife, had appeared at several school board meetings to express his …

•  10 Comments
• Photos (1)

Slates Split Three District 99 Seats

Davenport and Matune of One Community 99 take two seats with Nancy Kupka winning the third.

Update with a correction: 1:50 p.m.* After the One Community 99 slate  took two of three available seats on the District 99 school board Tuesday night, top vote-getter Mike Davenport summarized what he hoped to see as a board member. “I hope that there are a lot of unanimous votes after maybe some dissenting points of view and some work to find compromise,” he said. Davenport and slate-mate Keith Matune will join Nancy Kupka as the three fresh faces on the board in May. Cliff Grammich and incumbent Allyn Barnett finished fourth and fifth, respectively. Grammich was the third member of the One Community 99 slate while Barnett ran as a slate with Kupka. It was the second time in two years Barnett failed to win re-election. He was appointed …

•  2 Comments
• Photos (1)

District 99 Board Members Line Up Behind Candidate Slates

Split reflects changed alliances since 2009 election.

Two slates of candidates have formed to run for three open District 99 school board seats and current board members have picked sides in advance of the April 5 election. Julia Beckman, Terry Pavesich and Paul McCarthy are listed among the supporters of incumbent Allyn Barnett and newcomer Nancy Kupka on the Barnett/Kupka 99 website. Megan Shroeder, who recently dropped her own reelection bid citing family obligations, is named as an “honorary chairman” on the site.  Meanwhile, the One Community 99 slate of Mike Davenport, Cliff Grammich and Keith Matune has gained the support of board members Deborah Boyle and Bill White. The split reflects the seven-member board’s changing alliances since the 2009 election, when White ran on a slate that …

•  12 Comments
• Photos (6)

Kelly H

1:11 pm on Thursday, March 10, 2011

Chad, I agree. I can't tell you how many times I've absent-mindedly searched for one in these threads!   more ›