5 Vie For Elmhurst D205 Board In Election

ELMHURST, IL – As voters head to the polls Tuesday, they can see the good and the bad in Elmhurst School District 205.

Perhaps the district's biggest positive is its standardized test scores among elementary and middle school students.

Elmhurst is one of only a few districts nationwide where the scores among younger students exceed those in 2019, the year before the pandemic.

On the flip side, York High School's scores are still down.

Despite the controversies over cultural issues in recent years, no whiff of scandal could be detected at District 205.

That ended in November, with the arrest of the facilities director, Todd Schmidt, who was accused of stealing tens of thousands of dollars from his mother. He oversaw $168 million in building projects.

The next month, Patch found that Schmidt used his district card for $46,000 in personal expenses, including booze and cigars. He paid back the district every month, but the district's policy bars the use of credit cards for such purposes.

That led to the exit of Schmidt's boss, Chris Whelton, assistant superintendent of finance. Now, the district has hired auditors to see what other problems may exist.

Five candidates are vying for three seats on the seven-member board.

They are incumbent Athena Arvanitis and John Bishof, Brian Bresnahan, Tom Chavez and Nicole "Nikki" Slowinski.

Members Jim Collins and Kara Caforio decided against running again.

Chavez, who lost in his 2023 bid for school board, is likely the most well-known of the candidates. He started speaking at board meetings in 2021.

At the time, he contended the district was teaching students critical race theory, which was the conservative crusade of the moment. That has since shifted to DEI, which is shorthand for diversity, equity and inclusion.

In the last election, Chavez ran with three other candidates who were perceived as his allies. There is no one like that this time around.

In recent weeks, he has slammed a student theater performance, labeling it vulgar, among other things. And he called an online critic "emasculated" and having a "limp wrist."

In its questionnaires, Patch asked candidates whether the district should reveal who approved Schmidt's credit card arrangement. So far, officials have kept that a secret.

Arvanitis, a former New Trier school administrator, said she could not comment on personnel matters as a current board member.

Bishof and Chavez said the district should tell the public. Bishof, though, said it "would seem that Chris Whelton took responsibility by offering his resignation."

Bresnahan, the business and operations coordinator for Hinsdale School District 181, said the problem highlighted a need for a reevaluation of the district's oversight, making sure proper safeguards are in place.

For her part, Slowinski, who is in human resources, appeared to take Arvanitis' position.

"I think the district should handle this in the same way they would handle all personnel investigations," she said. "Many times, particularly during an investigation, organizations are not able to share information and doing so can create undue risks."