Kendall County Times

There are seven competitive school board races in Kendall County, according to an analysis of candidate filings by the Kendall Times.

Of the seven school boards, four currently have Democrat majorities and three GOP ones, according to an analysis of elected official primary voting history.

All told-- 42 candidates are running for 21 open seats across the seven districts, including 12 incumbents.

That includes 27 Republicans and 12 Democrats.

At Minooka CHSD 111, incumbents on the Democrat-controlled school board are facing challenges after the board backed three years of "progressive training around diversity, equity and inclusion" for high school students in the district.

Incumbents also face challenges in Oswego 308, where the board made October "LGBT History Month," including "Ally Week...during which students are encouraged (by teachers) to be 'allies' with LGBT members" and to "stand up against (alleged) bullying" of LGBT students."

According to the Illinois State Board of Education, 65.6 percent of Minooka H.S. students failed the 2022 statewide English examination, and are not at grade level in English.

The English failure rate at Oswego H.S. was 66 percent and, at Oswego East H.S., 62 percent in 2022.

Of the 49 current school board slots in the seven competitive districts, 26 are held by Republicans, 20 are held by Democrats and three by an independent.

Election Day is Tues. April 4.

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Which 2023 races are competitive in Kendall County?

Seven school board races are in the balance on April 4. 

School Board	Current Split	Seats Up	Inc. Running	total	DEM	GOP	Other
Minooka CCSD 201	5-2 DEMOCRAT	3	2	6	3	3	0
Plainfield CCSD 202	4-1-1 DEMOCRAT	3	1	4	3	1	0
Yorkville SD 115	6-0-1 REPUBLICAN	3	0	7	2	5	0
Plano CUSD 88	5-1-1 REPUBLICAN	4	4	6	1	5	0
Minooka CHSD 111	4-3 DEMOCRAT	4	3	8	2	5	1
Morris HSD 101	5-2 REPUBLICAN	3	2	6	1	5	0
Oswego SD 308	4-3 DEMOCRAT	4	2	11	3	6	0
TOTALS		21	12	42	12	27	1

Yorkville SD 115
Current Split	6-0-1	REPUBLICAN
Seats up	3
Candidates running	7
2023 Candidates- 4 yr.	Party	Hometown	Age
Jason Demas	R	Yorkville	54
Darren J. Crawford	R	Yorkville	55
Jorge A. Ayala	D	Yorkville	72
Leslie Smogor	D	Yorkville	45
vote for two
2023 Candidates- partial	Party	Hometown	Age
Michael J. Houston	R	Yorkville	42
Molly Gerke	R	Yorkville	37
Wayland W. Middendorf	R	Yorkville	56
vote for one
Existing Board Members	Party	Hometown	Age
Dr. Robert W. Brenart	R	Yorkville	73
Jason Senffner	R	Yorkville	49
Shawn Schumacher	R	Yorkville	56
Members leaving board
Lynn Burks	R	Yorkville	55
Ashley Rhea Fichtel	R	Yorkville	48
Tom Kozlowicz	R	Yorkville	77
Jenny Morgan	NV	Yorkville	42
Oswego SD 308
Current Split	4-3	DEMOCRAT
Seats up	4
Candidates running	11
2023 Candidates- 4 yr.	Party	Hometown	Age
Dominick Cirone (I)	R	Oswego	47
Richard B. Gilmore	R	Montgomery	60
Heather L. Gregar	R	Oswego	44
Joanne Anastasia Johnson	R	Oswego	50
Amy Murillo	D	Oswego	45
Mary Jo Wenmouth	D	Oswego	63
Nicky A. Boecker	R	Aurora	47
2023 Candidates- 2 yr.	Party	Hometown	Age
Jared Ploger (I)	D	Aurora	47
Kevin D. Johnson	R	Oswego	56
Existing Board Members	Party	Hometown	Age
LaTonya Simelton	D	Oswego	60
Eugene Gatewood	D	Aurora	47
Jennifer Johnson	D	Oswego	50
Members leaving board
Lauri Doyle	R	Oswego	47
Alison Swanson	R	Montgomery	50
Minooka CCSD 201
Current Split	5-2	DEMOCRAT
Seats up	3
Candidates running	6
2023 Candidates- 4 yr.	Party	Hometown	Age
Jennifer Monson	R	Shorewood	49
Emily A. Conquest (I)	D	Shorewood	40
Brian J. Pohlman	R	Channahon	43
Thomas J. McGowan	R	Channahon	43
Katherine Tonelli	D	Shorewood	44
Vinita Voss (I)	D	Shorewood	43
Existing Board Members	Party	Hometown	Age
James Satorius	D	Minooka	77
Stephen A. Blount	D	Joliet	43
Edward J. Cronin	D	Shorewood	63
Adam Shainberg	R	Minooka	42
Members leaving board
Alan M. Skwarczynski	R	Minooka	75
Plainfield CCSD 202
Current Split	4-1-1	DEMOCRAT
Seats up	3
Candidates running	4
2023 Candidates	Party	Hometown	Age
Margarita Morelos	D	Romeoville	38
Savena Joiner	D	Joliet	47
Heather Roach (I)	D	Plainfield	53
Elias P. Kalantzis	R	Plainfield	46
Existing Board Members	Party	Hometown	Age
Rod Westfall	R	Plainfield	67
Kathy Baxter	D	Joliet	69
Toni Galan	D	Plainfield	45
Barbara Seiden	R	Plainfield	52
Members leaving board
Kevin Kirberg	NV	Plainfield	50
Treasa Howard-Collins	D	Plainfield	51
Plano CUSD 88
Current Split	5-1-1	REPUBLICAN
Seats up	4
Candidates running	6
2023 Candidates	Party	Hometown	Age
Tim Waldrop (I)	R	Plano	62
Kyle R. Klatt (I)	R	Plano	42
Kimberly A. Velazquez (I)	D	Plano	49
Charles L. Schneider, III	R	Plano	54
Michael T. Jernigan (I)	R	Plano	53
Doug Lyle	R	Plano	38
Existing Board Members	Party	Hometown	Age
Tim J. Campbell	R	Plano	59
Chad M. Martin	NV	Plano	40
James A. Ward	R	Plano	50
Minooka CHSD 111
Current Split	4-3	DEMOCRAT
Seats up	4
Candidates running	8
2023 Candidates- 4 yr.	Party	Hometown	Age
Michael A. Hoyt	R	Shorewood	47
Laura Prosise Hrechko (I)	R	Minooka	42
Deirdra Crye (I)	D	Joliet	53
Timothy Juskiewicz	R	Minooka	46
Laura Undesser	R	Minooka	46
Zachary Vogt	D	Joliet	37
2023 Candidates- 2 yr.	Party	Hometown	Age
William Holmes	NV	Shorewood	60
Terrance Spivey (I)	R	Shorewood	51
Existing Board Members	Party	Hometown	Age
Mike Brozovich	D	Minooka	57
Jim Grzetich	D	Shorewood	45
Matthew L. Shepard	D	Channahon	47
Members leaving board
Dustin Heap	R	Channahon	35
Morris HSD 101
Current Split	5-2	REPUBLICAN
Seats up	3
Candidates running	6
2023 Candidates	Party	Hometown	Age
Dan Darlington	R	Morris	73
Scot Hastings (I)	R	Morris	57
Steven Halcomb	R	Morris	49
Jeffrey Wynn	R	Morris	64
Lynn Vermillion (I)	R	Morris	59
Judith E. Miller	D	Morris	75
Existing Board Members	Party	Hometown	Age
Todd Mettille	D	Morris	51
Chris Danek	R	Morris	46
Matt Eber	D	Morris	51
Michael J. Wright	R	Morris	51
Members leaving board
Suzy Brown	R	Morris	44