Beginning on Apr. 1, Evanston residents will vote for new District 65 school board members. Just like District 202’s board, District 65’s board consists of seven members, each serving a four-year term. This year, four of the current members of District 65’s board are not running for re-election (Donna Wang Su, Soo La Kim, Biz Lindsay-Ryan and Joey Hailpern). This leaves four open spots and 13 total candidates on the ballot.

Evanston residents need to consider several key issues this election, spanning from the quality of education to fiscal responsibility. The 13 board candidates have a lot to address in order to appeal to voters.

Although District 65 board elections may seem distant from the concerns of ETHS students, they are highly relevant. At the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year, 78% of ETHS students had come from District 65 middle schools. These students’ experiences in District 65 elementary and middle schools greatly influence their high school performance. For example, if the board was to increase opportunities for students to play soccer in District 65, it could improve the quality of ETHS’ soccer teams in the future.

Most recently, a forum for the District 65 school board candidates was held on Jan. 12. A District 65 school board meeting will be held on Jan. 27 with more information that could impact the election. ETHS students might want to pay attention as this election could have a big impact on ETHS’ future.

Students, teachers and parents have varying opinions on school board priorities. Below, they weigh in on the election.

Adrienne Handelman

Adrienne Handelman, a parent of two students at Willard Elementary School, recognizes that there are many candidates to choose from in this election. She is eager to gain deeper insight into each candidate’s motivations and commitment to the role as she believes that being a board member is a “thankless job.” Handelman hopes that the board will reflect the rich diversity of Evanston’s student body, and she emphasizes the importance of candidates demonstrating open-mindedness and dedication to public education. She strongly believes that the board members will face financial challenges, so she considers it essential that candidates are financially knowledgeable.

Andy Miner

Andy Miner is a parent of two children in District 65, with a third on the way. He is looking for a “diverse set of backgrounds, experiences and skill sets” in the new board. In Miner’s eyes, the district needs to be financially sound and provide a strong academic experience for all students. Miner is also concerned about the district’s standards-based grading system for its middle schools. “The first time that any student in Evanston receives a letter grade is their first semester of freshman year, and I don’t know if that’s the best [approach],” said Miner. He feels that the collaboration between the two districts is lacking, despite being told otherwise. According to Miner, the new board must make better decisions. “I can’t reconcile the thought of making cuts to staff and extracurriculars or anything that impacts the day-to-day experiences of students [because of financial issues],” said Miner.

GionMatthias Schelbert

GionMatthias Schelbert is a parent of 5th and 8th graders in District 65 and a lifelong Evanston resident who attended District 65 schools himself. Schelbert respects the past board members’ commitment, but is dissatisfied with the actions they took while in office. His primary concerns include fiscal responsibility, stronger administrative oversight and the misuse of race and equity issues to advance personal agendas, such as in the case of the Fifth Ward school where the community’s struggles were exploited to silence criticism. Schelbert advocates for eliminating administrative positions he considers “unnecessary and extremely expensive.” He also emphasizes the link between District 65’s performance and local property values, noting that a poorly performing district can negatively impact real estate prices and therefore the community as a whole. Despite his concerns, he sees the 13 candidates’ involvement as a sign that the community is banding together to address the district’s mistakes.

Fitz Dennison

Fitz Dennison is a parent of two children attending District 65 schools. He will be supporting candidates who are “student-focused and willing to work and listen to faculty and staff.” Recalling the previous board’s decision to redistribute Bessie Rhodes students to other district schools, Dennison hopes that the new board will not make any “rash decisions.” A top priority for Dennison is the expansion of beneficial programming like The Two-Way Immersion (TWI) program or previously offered opportunities like various field trips including visits to Washington, D.C., Springfield, IL and Camp Timber-lee. He feels that more of an effort should be made to bring back those kinds of important occasions for students. Dennison also opposes the busing of students to schools that are geographically far away from their homes. He thinks it crucial to remember that the students set to attend the Fifth Ward school “haven’t had a local school in their community since schools were desegregated in Evanston.” He is also passionate about changing the district’s free and reduced lunch program to account for more students who go without lunch at school. In the past, the “mismanagement of funds and superintendent issues” did not contribute to “consistency across the board” like with the everchanging “grading policies and scoring systems” teachers are required to implement. Dennison is also aware of how the incoming presidential administration may affect certain funding and will consider this when voting.

Clara Wartowski

Clara Wartowski, a freshman at ETHS who attended Chute Middle School, thinks it is important for the new school board members to be “able to see what the children need” and to “take feedback and criticism.” She thinks that one of the most important parts of being a board member is reaching out to students and parents to find out what they want from their school system instead of making assumptions. Wartowski would like the new board members to be committed and take on this responsibility for the benefit and betterment of the children and their families.

Leila Roseman

Leila Roseman is a 7th grader at Haven Middle School. Roseman believes that the candidates should not attempt to take credit for every action they take in office and instead share the success. In Roseman’s opinion, the candidates should put the community first before worrying about how things might affect them. Roseman is aware of the many fights and absences when people skip class at her school. She thinks that it is essential for students to be in the classroom, especially with the Constitution test, a graduation requirement, coming up for 7th graders at her school. A lot of Roseman’s friends and peers favor teachers with assistant teachers in the room. Roseman’s math teacher does not receive help from an assistant teacher which is difficult for students because “everyone’s questions can’t be answered and there isn’t enough time in the day.” Roseman also sees room for improvement in terms of variety and student involvement in building the extracurricular opportunities at her school as she knows they are crucial at ETHS and in the college process later down the road. Roseman herself is involved in many activities outside of school, but is aware that her peers may not have the same opportunities—another reason to offer more at school.

Trisha Baker

Trisha Baker is the current president of the District 65 Educator’s Council (DEC). After learning about the school board candidates’ intentions at the Jan. 12 forum, Baker spoke briefly at the District 65 Committee of the Whole Meeting on Jan. 13. Baker said that she finds it “quite unfortunate that the district is in the state that it’s in financially” right now and hopes that the new members of the school board are able to bring back Evanston’s “former glory…not only financially, but also instructionally and in the eyes of the community.” Baker believes that the board should keep the people of Evanston, especially the students, in mind. “This community, with students at the center, always deserves the very best.”