Alsip-Crestwood School Board Races Take Shape in April 4 Election

ALSIP-CRESTWOOD, IL — Alsip and Crestwood’s public school boards are up for renewal in the April 4 consolidated election. Every other year in odd numbered years, elections are held for municipal, school, park, library, township and other local governmental bodies.

The deadline to submit nomination petitions for candidates to get their names on the ballot was Dec. 19. These are the candidates who filed to run in local school board races.

Atwood School Dist. 125

Four incumbent candidates are running for the Dist. 125 Board of Education in an uncontested race. Schools in the district include Lawn Manor (Oak Lawn), Meadow Lane (Merrionette Park) and Hamlin Upper Grade Center (Alsip). Candidates include:

• Esteban Sanchez Gayton, of Alsip
• Melissa Castillow, of Merrionette Park
• Tamara Balcinas, of Alsip
• Victoria L. Soderlund, of Merrionette Park

Alsip, Hazelgreen, Oak Lawn Dist. 126

Two candidates have filed to run for Dist. 126 Board of Education. The district includes Prairie Junior High School; Hazelgreen, Lane and Stony Creek elementary schools; and the Early Childhood Center.

• Joe LaChica (incumbent)
• Muna Salah Conley

Cook County School District 130

Cook County School Dist. 130 serves portions of Alsip, Crestwood, Blue Island and Robbins. The district includes seven elementary schools and four middle schools, including ANCHOR Academy. Four candidates have filed to run for the school board, including:

• William T, Werner, of Blue Island, who currently serves as president of the D130 school board.
• Frank Gassmere Jr., of Crestwood
• Eric Wesley Abraham, of Crestwood
• John Marek Boehring, Crestwood

Community High School Dist. 218

The CHSD 218 Board of Education has three open seats in the upcoming election. Residents vote for board members representing their subdistrict. Three candidates have filed to run in April 4 election:

• Shelia P. Collier, of Robbins, is running in Subdistrict 1, representing all or parts of Crestwood, Robbins and Blue Island.
• Carol A. Kats, of Worth, currently serves as vice president of the board. Kats is running in Subdistrict 5, representing all or parts of Worth, Palos Heights and Chicago Ridge.
• Nora J. Hunt, of Oak Lawn, is running in Subdistrict 6, representing all or parts of Oak Lawn and Chicago Ridge.

Dist, 218 includes Richards, Shepard and Eisenhower high schools, and Delta/Summit Learning Center and the Adult Transition Program for young adults 18-22 with disabilities.

Write-In Candidate

For the consolidated election, a write-in candidate must file a notarized “Declaration of Intent To Be A Write-In Candidate” form no later than 61 days prior to the election. The declaration must be filed with proper election authority, in the case of school board candidates, the Cook County Clerk, by 5 p.m. Feb. 2. Write-in votes are tallied after the ballots are counted. Only write-in candidates who filed a declaration of candidacy will be counted in an election.