Four candidates earned spots Tuesday on the Western Springs Elementary District 101 Board.
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Unofficial results from the Cook County Clerk’s election website show Lisa Garvin, Julie A. O’Connor, Caitlin J. Sendaydiego and Brett Lettiere ahead in the five-person race with all 9 precincts reporting.
Garvin had 23.89 percent of the total votes cast (499 votes), O’Connor had 22.64 percent (473 votes), Lettiere had 20.11 percent (420) votes and Sendaydiego received 18.57 percent (388 votes.)
George Garing Gibbs, a cardiologist in Hinsdale, trailed with 14.79 percent of the vote (309 votes).
Garvin and O’Connor are current board members. Garing Gibbs is married to board President Karen Gibbs.
Gavin works as a school social worker at Oak Park-River Forest High School on contractual basis. She said during the campaign that the district need to find ways to help students to excel.
“It is always a challenge for the administration how not to be complacent, where do we go from here,” Garvin said. “We need to combine new and existing ways to challenge student learning. We also need to look at balancing technology in the everyday curriculum, how we are advancing in a technological age.”
O’Connor, 52, an attorney, said the decline in state funding is another issue that every school district will face.
“The district is mindful to be prudent while providing the most enriching education for students. It is always a balance, a trade-off. It is likely to be more a challenge as state funding is reduced or eliminated.”
Whether to institute full-day kindergarten is another issue the board may address again at some point.
“We spent a lot of time in deliberation on the best program for kids,” O’Connor said. “I am not sure there is any one right answer. My view is that I voted to retain the current half-day, but in looking at it objectively, it is probably best for the kids to have an extended day program, to extend the curriculum.”
Sendaydiego, 36, a homemaker, said the district thoroughly examined the issue.
“Should new data come to the forefront, the district should review it,” Sendaydiego said. “I think we need to think about students’ academic interest first. Our students are not lacking academically; and Laidlaw (School) does not have the space for an extra room.”
Lettiere, 41, is chairman of the humanities department at Argo High School, summer school director and head speech coach. He wants to see summer learning opportunities
“I’d like to see a more robust summer program,” he said. “That is an area that continues to grow and is moving in the right direction.
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