CHSD 230 Board Of Education Candidate Tim Danlow: 2025 Election

ORLAND PARK, IL — Inspire 230 candidate Tim Danlow is one of nine people running for five open seats on the Dist 230 board in the April 1 election. Early voting is from March 17 through March 31.

Your Name

Tim Danlow

Campaign website

Inspire230

Campaign social media (include links for Facebook, Instagram, etc.)

Facebook: Inspire 230 Instagram: Inspire_230 X: @Inspire230

Town/city of residence

Orland Park

School district

Consolidated High School District 230

Family. (Names, ages and any pertinent details you wish to share.)

Three children ages 9, 12, and 13

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? This includes any relatives who work in the government you're running for.

No

Education

Carl Sandburg High School, 1998
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Bachelor of Science 2004

Occupation. Please include years of experience.

President/Owner of Key Metals, Inc Steel and Aluminum Supplier, 2005-current

Previous or current elected or appointed office

None

The most pressing issues facing our district are _______, and this is what I intend to do about them.

Our declining status among high school districts in the suburbs. While we were once a top performer, we have fallen behind many including Lincoln-Way, Lemont, and Lyons. Average SAT scores (Illinois Report Card), college readiness, reading and math competency, as well as our US News and Niche rankings have all fallen behind these local districts. Our competency rates and college readiness levels continue falling while taxes rise. We have incredible teachers, but they need the support of a board willing to commit to improving the learning environments. By ensuring administrative leadership, enforcing classroom behavior, engaging parents, and eliminating disruptions such as cell phones, we can refocus on academic excellence. Being a top performing district will also help to continue to attract new teachers as others retire.

Board turnover and leadership. Three board member resignations in the past three years have resulted in a lack of continuity and leadership necessary to effectively manage District 230. I, and the Inspire 230 slate, are committed to long-term service to see our vision through because the taxpayers, teachers, and students deserve a board that is invested in their success.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

All of these D230 candidates running are wonderful people who are passionate about education and deserve appreciation for being willing to step up and serve our district. I bring a unique mix of business leadership, parental experience, passion as a Sandburg graduate, and long-term commitment to our schools.

Running a steel company and managing real estate investments has taught me budgeting, contract negotiations, and strategic planning. Playing hockey through the ranks and coaching has taught me about different leadership styles, how to lead by example, inspire success, and develop others.

Lastly, those who know me would say that my energy and competitiveness make me a strong leader. I’m excited for both the opportunity to work with the other board members and connect with our entire community to help lead our district to a better future.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community or district?

I don’t like the term “failed”, especially in light of all of the time and effort that the board commits to making our schools great. However, as leaders, there are always things that we need to accept criticism and accountability for in order to grow and move the district into a better place.

Unable to negotiate a teachers’ contract without a federal mediator stepping in, forcing teachers to work without a contract for half of the school year. This contract is still not publicly available for taxpayers to view.

Did not submit requests for money owed from the Orland MST TIF for students living in the TIF area since it was created. Going back to 2010 annual reports for the TIF (public info), there has been no money paid to school districts. They also had the opportunity to negotiate the early removal of the 9750 apartments from the MST TIF as early as 2021. These apartments generate about $1.4 million in property taxes each year, which would have gone to the district. Instead, we will have to wait until the TIF expires in 2027 to capture this revenue.

Ineffective allocation of $16.4 million of federal COVID relief funds (ESSER) intended to help schools recover from the pandemic’s impact on students. Approximately half was spent on capitalprojects, while our SAT math competency rate fell from 42.9% in 2019 to 31.2% in 2024.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

Refocusing our resources on student competency.

Attracting quality teachers to replace upcoming retirements.

Grading/Performance app upgrades to increase student and parent engagement.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

20 years of experience running a business including navigating through Covid as an essential business involved in manufacturing as well as remodeling my business from being a local distributor into a national distributor, shipping across the US and Canada. These accomplishments required extensive research and analysis, as well as team work and collaboration with my staff to achieve our goals. Further, my daily activities have helped prepare me to be a successful board member including contract negotiations, employment matters, accounting, budgeting, policymaking, strategic thinking, communication, analytical skills, and leadership.

Why should voters trust you?

I am a father of three in the district, experienced business leader, volunteer hockey coach, lifelong resident of Orland, and a graduate of D230. I am a homeowner and own commercial real estate within the district so I am about as invested as you can be. This is my community and as a board member I will make decisions that are in the best interest of the district. I am looking forward to serving the district well beyond my children’s time as students and for many years to come.

If you win this position, what accomplishment would make your term in office a success?

My time on the board would be considered a success if we regain our position as the premier district in the south suburbs, improve student achievement, increase student and parent engagement, continue to improve our facilities and technology, and provide better support to teachers and staff while remaining transparent and fiscally responsible every step of the way. I hope to leave a lasting and positive change for students, teachers and the entire D230 community. Being given the opportunity by voters to continue to serve additional terms would be the ultimate sign of success to me.

What guidance should staff be given for dealing with potential ICE enforcement at schools?

As of this writing, I am aware that the superintendent and legal counsel are currently working to establish a policy to guide the course of action if approached by ICE agents. This policy should establish the main contact person for each school (most likely the principal) who will alert the superintendent and legal counsel to first verify any warrants, orders, NTA’s, subpoenas etc. Contacting parents or guardians, protecting the privacy of our students and maintaining records for the district must also be included in the policy.

Should cell phones be banned during school? Why or why not?

An effective learning environment simply is not possible when students have cell phones in hand during class. Constant notifications and distractions hinder their ability to focus and takes a toll on their mental health. Teachers should not have to act as cell phone police or navigate inconsistent policies that can vary from one classroom to another. I support establishing a district-wide policy – shaped by input from both student representatives and teachers – that keeps phones out of classrooms while still allowing high school students opportunities to develop responsible device habits during appropriate times.

How do you feel about sex education being taught in school? Should an LGBTQ component be included, and why or why not?

Opt-out should always remain an option for parents who want to have a say in what their children are taught regarding sex, and curriculum materials should always be publicly available. Comprehensive sex ed, that is age appropriate, should focus on reproductive health, as well as consent, respect, and boundaries. These programs have been shown to also help prevent sexual assault and violence. Currently, sexual orientation and identity is a required component of sex education programs required by Illinois law.

Is the high school teaching critical race theory, Marxism or any other idealogy, and what should be done about it?

We have the responsibility of providing our students with the knowledge and skills that will best prepare them for their next step in life as successful adults. Focusing on math and reading has been shown to result in better workplace employability skills that lead to future job success and these will remain our main focus. Critical thinking skills are an important skill to teach our high school students. Ideologies such as Marxism should only be taught in a manner free of indoctrination or imposition.

Do you think property taxes are too high, too low, or just about right?

Relative to the educational results that we are yielding, property taxes in the district are much too high. We need to produce better results to validate ever-rising property taxes.

How do you feel about TIF districts? Do they hurt or benefit schools? Explain.

Illinois law allows municipalities (not school districts) the right to create TIF districts. How well they structure their TIF and manage the subsequent development determines if they benefit or hurt schools. It is vital for school boards to work collaboratively with local municipalities to understand the TIF’s impact on the district and to negotiate fair agreements that protect school funding. These are long term investments that, if successful, result in much-needed development to grow our tax base and lower the burden on individual taxpayers, while providing increased revenue to the school district.

As a board we must 1) ensure that new areas designated as TIF meet Illinois TIF Act requirements as well as 2) review the existing TIFs within our district that are nearing expiration. At expiration, either the additional tax revenue can be returned to the schools or the municipality may desire to negotiate an extension to the length of the TIF.

If elected, I intend to establish a current database of TIFs within District 230 and pertinent information including designation dates, expiration, base and current EAV, number of D230 students residing within the TIF, and any associated IGA’s, amendments and extension agreements. This information will help to ensure that District 230 collects all revenue due and can plan accordingly in budgets for years to come.

TIFs that include residential and add students to the district are a concern. The Illinois TIF Act entitles schools to reimbursement from the TIF for the costs of educating students who live within the TIF. However, it is the responsibility of the district to annually request this reimbursement from the TIF between a specific time period – or else they forfeit any claim to reimbursement for that year.

Most important points: 1) TIF is created by municipalities and 2) Negotiating with municipalities is our ONLY way to have some control over what goes into these TIFs and how we can best protect D230’s best interests.

When it comes to student achievement, what are schools within this district doing well and what needs to be improved? How can those improvements be made?

District 230’s graduation rate and ‘freshmen on track’ rates remain excellent, around the 95% mark. But the competency rates and test scores continue to decline since returning to the classroom from COVID. Our graduates are less educated now each year, and we need to refocus our resources to improve. I would first begin at our foundation – our teachers – and provide them with the resources that they need for students to learn effectively. A learning environment free from behavior problems and interruptions would be enforced consistently by our administrators. Finally, new grading software needs to be implemented for students and parents to be more engaged. Software that can help to show not just a current grade, but trends that can confirm improvement or identify areas that are slipping and need more attention.

Is there any reason you would not serve your full term of office, other than those of health or family?

I am committed to serving my full term and hopefully many more.