LTHS Conservatives Suffer Same Fate As Elmhurst Counterparts

LA GRANGE, IL – Lyons Township High School's school board election on Tuesday was similar to Elmhurst's – progressives trounced their conservative counterparts.

In Lyons Township, progressive candidates Tim Albores, Jill Beda Daniels and Kari Dillon drew 54 percent of the vote for the three available board seats.

The conservative trio of David Herndon, Tim Vlcek and Frank Evans got 40 percent.

Justin Clark, who wasn't affiliated with either group, finished last with 7 percent.

In Elmhurst, the school district's progressives received 64 percent to the conservatives' 32 percent.

Elmhurst's equivalent of Justin Clark, Ben Zulauf, got just 3 percent.

In both cases, the progressives were endorsed by teachers unions. Just days before the election, Awake Illinois, a new conservative group, announced its backing for the conservative candidates in both races.

In a news release Wednesday, the Lyons Township High School administration congratulated the three winners, who are set to take office May 1.

"I know that each of these individuals are personally committed to working collaboratively with our team to ensure the continued success of our outstanding school community," Superintendent Brian Waterman said in the release.

Board member Alison Kelly decided against running for another term.

One question is whether member Julie Swinehart will serve until her term expires in 2025. For nearly two months, she has not answered Patch's questions about her plans. Last year, she took a job with a Boston-based company.

Another issue is the school's effort to sell its land in Willow Springs to an industrial developer, which prompted protests from residents and other public bodies.

The school put the controversial project on hold weeks before the election.

All seven board members have been silent at meetings for more than two months about the potential land sale.

Although allied with Dillon and Daniels, Albores may be the first board member who dissents.

In response to Patch's questionnaire in February, Albores said he questioned how much transparency the school provided the community.

"While I do appreciate the communication that was shared on January 26th, the community made it clear that they were not aware of the direction the district was heading," Albores said. "Whether the district felt it was open in their communication or not, doesn’t matter if the community feels disenfranchised."

Patch left an emailed message for comment with Albores.