Gericke, Kozminski, Black Lead District 203 Race: Election 2023

NAPERVILLE, IL — With three seats available on the Naperville Community Unit School District 203 Board of Education, five candidates were hoping to snag a spot in Tuesday's election.

As of 10:47 p.m., Kristine Gericke, Joe Kozmisnki and Melissa Kelley Balck were in the lead.

Polls opened at 6 a.m. and closed at 7 p.m. With 95.5 percent of precincts reporting in DuPage and 100 percent reporting in Will County, the unofficial results as of 9:50 p.m. Tuesday are:

• Kristine M. Gericke: 10,707 votes
• Joseph (Joe) Kozminski: 10,577 votes
• Gilbert R. Wagner: 4,177 votes
• Ronald Amato: 7,419 votes
• Melissa Kelley Black: 8,590 votes

Below, you'll find some information about each of the District 203 candidates.

Kristine M. Gericke

Kristine M. Gericke was elected to the District 203 Board of Education in 2017 and is currently seeking her second term.

On her District 203 member profile, Gericke writes, "It is important to foster curiosity and the love of learning regardless of a child’s age. From the very beginning, families and communities share the responsibility to ensure that children are encouraged to explore, question and interact with their world. We need to help children find their individual passions that will lead them toward productive and happy adult lives. Above all, we must demonstrate that learning is a lifelong endeavor that should be pursued and enjoyed no matter one’s age."

Joseph (Joe) Kozminski

On her District 203 member profile, Gericke writes, "It is important to foster curiosity and the love of learning regardless of a child’s age. From the very beginning, families and communities share the responsibility to ensure that children are encouraged to explore, question and interact with their world. We need to help children find their individual passions that will lead them toward productive and happy adult lives. Above all, we must demonstrate that learning is a lifelong endeavor that should be pursued and enjoyed no matter one’s age."

Gilbert R. Wagner

On his campaign website, Gilbert Wagner writes that "[b]eing a blue-collar worker for most of my adult life, I bring a different perspective to the school board." Wagner formerly served on the West Chicago Elementary School District 33 Board of Education as a member, secretary, vice president and president, per his website.

Wagner writes, "When elected I promise to be a sounding board for every stakeholder in our community, especially the students and parents."

Ronald Amato

Ronald Amato is a member of the board of directors at Kids Matter. On his campaign site, Amato writes, "While the District faces rising costs, so do families who are already saddled with high taxes. The District must work to strike a balance between maintaining excellent schools and respecting the taxpayer."

Melissa Kelley Black

Melissa Kelley Black holds a bachelor's degree and master’s degree in education. Black's website explains that she understands the importance of IEP education opportunities because she is the mother of children with special needs.

Black states on her site that there are "large student achievement gaps between different student groups that need to be addressed" in District 203.