Issues & Facts

‘Yes’ to Schools Opening: Student Success candidates WANT SCHOOLS FULLY OPEN as soon as possible. Our candidates are committed to being responsible and educated decision-makers, who will work with all stakeholders and WITHOUT alienating any groups.

On-Boarding of a New Superintendent: Outside of returning children to school full-time, on-boarding a new Superintendent is a top priority for the Student Success candidates. With children returning to school under a new Superintendent, it will be imperative to have an experienced group of board members leading the way.

School Finances: School Board decisions throughout the years have provided our districts with a TRIPLE A bond rating and we experience some of the LOWEST PROPERTY TAXES on the North Shore. For decades Lake Forest Caucus candidates have provided practical and professional experience in handling finances and the Student Success 2021 candidates will continue this strong tradition.

Investing in our Students Future: Our candidates are devoted to responsibly investing in our schools so that our children have every opportunity to succeed in whatever endeavor they choose for their future. It is no secret that our students and our schools need to be invested in and the Student Success candidates are dedicated to engaging with the entire community, to ascertain the most cost effective path forward.

Efficient Communication & Increased Transparency: Actively listening and effectively communicating with the entire community, that’s what our candidates are committed to. With a new Superintendent comes a new opportunity to enhance the ways in which the school administration and boards communicate with the community. Our candidates are devoted to being the most transparent boards in memory and identifying best-in-class communication tactics to keep all stakeholders updated on their decisions.

Will there be a candidate debate? - YES! The League of Women Voters- Lake Forest/Lake Bluff chapter hosted a candidate forum on Sunday, March 14th at 2pm. Click Here to view a recording of the candidate forum.

Is it true that the State of Illinois is going to require schools to teach about white privilege? - No! This is a complete misinterpretation of a new state law. The law does NOT apply to public school curriculum. Rather, it pertains to teacher training programs. It is intended to give new teachers the tools to help them understand the cultures of the diverse communities in which they may be teaching. Read more in the Chicago Tribune >

Are District 67 & 115 schools behind on opening? - No! In fact, Mundelein, Stevenson, Libertyville, Vernon Hills, Highland Park, Deerfield, New Trier, and Glenbrook high schools are all using hybrid learning, as is Lake Forest High School. New Trier hopes to offer a 4-day in-school option starting in late March, but they are currently struggling with a spike in COVID cases among students.

Ability to Navigate COVID-19
When the new board is seated in May 2021, their priority will be getting our students back in school and getting students back on track following a year of disruption. We sought candidates who have experience navigating complex, dynamic situations who will be leaders for our districts and dedicated to our students.

Representative of the Community
The Student Success 2021 candidates come from various professional and educational backgrounds. Our candidates are doctors, attorneys, small business owners, business executives and public servants. Our candidates also have a variety of relationships with the schools - long-time parents, recently-arrived parents, former parents, and grandparents - representing the whole of the community these boards serve. While we don’t inquire about political leanings or affiliation, we expect our candidates represent a spectrum of political backgrounds.

Vision for Education
The Caucus sought out candidates who are knowledgeable about and committed to excellence in education, including curriculum, district leadership, and strategy. Our candidates developed these skills as current board members, through volunteering in our schools, their experiences as parents, and from their professional experience.

Sound Fiscal Management
Thanks to the responsible financial management of prior Caucus-endorsed boards, our communities still enjoy the lowest tax rates in the area and our schools have AAA bond ratings. The Student Success 2021 candidates are committed to continued fiscal responsibility and are prepared to have the hard conversations with staff and the community to maintain a strong financial position.

Effective, Collaborative Board Members
Not only do the Caucus-endorsed candidates have experience on business, not-for-profit, educational and community boards, they also are committed to being collaborative board members and community liaisons. We believe an effective school board must be one where members work together, even when they disagree. We believe our candidates welcome differing opinions while still being committed to a functioning board.

Independent Voices
The Caucus Committee has no party platform or ideology, nor do these candidates. The Student Success 2021 candidates have gone through multiple rounds of interviews with over 40 community members who then democratically selected this slate. We expect all our candidates to think independently to come to the best decisions for our students and community.

How were these candidates selected?

The Lake Forest Caucus Committee interviews, vets, and endorses about 160 volunteer positions on boards and commissions in Lake Forest. As part of the process, the committee members learn about the skills required of these boards, find volunteers (or are approached by them), interview and vet them, and ultimately select them. We are 43 volunteers tuned in to our neighbors and our city and have three year term limits which means new faces, ideas, and perspectives change with our city.

For the school board specifically, our search committee started recruiting and interviewing candidates in May 2020 from a list of ~900 volunteers who've registered on our website or were referred to us from APT, current board, etc. The search committee approached about 60 candidates and interviewed ~15 candidates for each board. A short list of candidates which interviewed before the whole Caucus committee, who democratically selected our candidates in a blind vote.

We believe our process is rigorous and representative of our community, having been refined over our eight decade history. For more information on the Lake Forest Caucus - Click Here

Why is the Caucus process “better”?

The candidates endorsed by the Lake Forest Caucus were selected as eight independent voices using the criteria described above. These individuals were determined by a group of dozens of your fellow citizens to be the “best choice” for our school boards. These candidates are not beholden to a party or ideological platform - they are committed to serving and being responsive to the community.

The election is contested by a group of self-selected partisans running on their own interests or on behalf of a smaller constituency.