Election 2025: Kirby District 140 Board Candidate Aileen Mullee

TINLEY PARK, IL — The consolidated election is set for April 1, and several spots on the Kirby District 140 Board of Education are up for grabs.

Six candidates are vying for four seats on the board. Incumbents Aileen Mullee, Tom Martelli, Carol DeMichael, and Luciana Shalash seek to retain their seats as the All-4-KSD140 slate. Also contending for seats are challengers Katlin Davis and Melissa Bessler.

Based in Tinley Park, Kirby District 140 is a seven-school, preschool-8th grade district—two middle schools and five elementary—serving more than 3,500 students from Tinley Park, Orland Hills, and Orland Park, Illinois. District 140 employs approximately 600 full and part-time individuals.

Patch provided a questionnaire to all candidates. We'll be sharing their responses in candidate profiles.

Early voting begins March 17.

Candidate:

Aileen Mullee

Campaign website:

All-4-KSD140 Facebook

Age (as of election day):

42

Town/city of residence:

Tinley Park

School district:

Kirby District 140

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

My husband, Guy DiTuri, and I have 4 children. We have a sophomore and senior at Victor J Andrew High School and a seventh and eighth grader at Grissom Middle School.

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:

I have a Bachelor's Degree in Management from Columbia College Chicago and graduated from Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School.

Occupation. Please include years of experience.

I have owned my travel agency since 2018 and have been a travel agent for 11 years. Previous to that, I was in Management at a company that provided mystery shopping and social media marketing services to businesses nationwide and also have a background in financial aid and banking.

Previous or current elected or appointed office*:

I've been on the Board of Education at KSD140 since 2021 and have been the Board's Delegate since 2023.

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

I am very proud of our school district and what we've accomplished over the past four years.

One of the most pressing issues facing all districts nationwide is school safety. As a board member, I'll continue to support a multi-layered approach to protecting our students, teachers, and staff. This not only includes physical preventative measures, but also having School Resource Officers in our buildings as well as at least one social worker and counselor in each building to address the social and emotional needs of our students. I am open to increasing the number of social workers and counselors in buildings, if needed.

I think the other pressing issue is the overall attack on public education. I'm a staunch supporter of public education and I will do everything in my power as a member of our Board of Education to ensure that our students continue to get the fair and equitable education that they deserve.

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

As a business owner, I regularly make decisions that greatly affect my agency. I'm comfortable making tough calls and looking at situations (and their ramifications) from different directions, as that's part of the daily life of an entrepreneur.

My main role, though, is that of a Special Needs Parent. I have three children with various levels of needs that require different types of educational support. I have seen first-hand the services offered within our school district and know what Special Needs Parents have to consider when making choices for their children's education. I've always said that I'm not on the Board to represent one specific type of person; however, I do think it's extremely valuable to have someone who intrinsically "gets it" because I live it. As a Special Needs Parent, I regularly need to harness a strength that I didn't know I had inside and I bring that strength to my role as a Board Member.

The four incumbents who are running together, Carol DeMicheal, Lucy Shalash, Tom Martelli, and myself, bring very distinct strengths and experiences to the table and I believe that it's very valuable to have four individuals who work well together yet come at a problem with four distinctly different frames of mind.

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

I don't think that cell phones should be used in classrooms, but I do not believe that they should be banned from the buildings. I think that allowing phones in school is a lesson in self-discipline, but also important in the case of emergencies or urgent need for communication.

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

N/A

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

Our district's mission statement is short, but strong: Every Child. Every Day. This is a mission statement that I truly believe in and one that shows our dedication to having a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment for our students, teachers, and staff. This is what I strive to follow as a Board Member.

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

I believe my decisions that I have made as a board member over the past four years prove that I can handle another four years on the board. I don't think my job here is done and I want to continue to devote my time and energy to maintaining the quality education that we provide our students while also being a good steward to the community.

Why should voters trust you?

I believe that trust should be earned. As a board member, I feel that I've made ethical decisions that have been in the community's best interests over the past four years.

Our board has made tough calls. Two years ago, we had decided to rebuild Fernway Elementary School. We eventually opted to not move forward with building the new school when the costs exceeded the budget that we had allotted. We always strive to be fiscally responsible. We are now working on ways to update the existing building which is more cost effective.

Last month, our board voted to abate an additional $3.1 million in local property taxes for the second consecutive year, as we have received two Property Tax Relief Grants from the State of Illinois. The District will have provided $12.4 million in property tax relief to District 140 residents over three years. This demonstrates that the community can trust the board in having their best interests in mind.

In my business, I regularly deal with sensitive information, whether that be financial information or about health concerns that my clients have. This information is kept in strict confidentiality. I value trustworthiness and always act in a way to ensure that others can trust me.

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

As one of seven board members, I alone cannot alone make any change, but I intend to continue to be a strong, independent, and deliberate voice for our children and our community.

I think it's very important that the project to complete renovations at Fernway Elementary School be implemented and completed in a timely manner and on budget.

I want to continue focusing on safety in our schools both through our multi-layered measures and a focus on Social and Emotional Learning, which can help curb issues before they rise to the surface. I'm a believer of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and know that if our students do not feel safe, they will not be successful learners. We are getting feedback from students that they feel safer in our schools now that Security Resource Officers are in place. I want to make sure that they continue to feel this way.

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

I believe that any ICE officers that come to the doors of our schools should be referred to our Administration Center so that their warrants can be reviewed and our legal representation can be contacted by a representative in our Business Administration Office. I don't think that this is a responsibility that should fall on our school principals.

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

I believe that, in an ideal world, there should be sex education taught in school that includes an LGBTQ component, at least at the eighth grade level. That being said, when districts opt in to teaching sex education, there is a mandated curriculum that must be followed (National Sexuality Education Standards). There are several aspects of that curriculum that I believe are not age appropriate, so, because of that, I do fully support the district's decision to opt out of this program in January 2022.

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?

Based on the 2024 Illinois Assessment of Readiness scores, which measure proficiency in English Language Arts, Math, and Science, our students are performing above the state average. Six of our schools have been rated as Commendable with one of our middle schools being awarded an Exemplary designation. In fact, two of those Commendable schools missed the Exemplary designation by just .76 and .26. These designations mean that none of our 7 schools have underperforming student groups and that the Exemplary middle school is in the top 10% of schools statewide. This demonstrates that our students are receiving an equitable education. I'd like to continue to see our test scores and student performance increase so that more of our schools qualify for the Exemplary designation. As our educators continue to focus on a standards-based curriculum, we can only expect improvement in student performance.

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

Absolutely not. I've shown a dedication to my position on the board for the past four years and am fully committed to fulfilling the full term.