Pandemic decisions key in D146 race

Communication, handling of virus at issue in election

Elementary School District 146 s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic is taking center stage in a seven-person race for four seats on the school board.

Incumbents Richard E. Lloyd III and Julie Berry are joined by Jill A. Dunlap and Patricia Chlada on the 146 Forward slate. But the other two incumbents up for reelection, Vincent J. Aiello and Julie Jackson, are running together and challenger Shane Wilson is waging a solo campaign.

The kindergarten through eighth grade district serves students in parts of Tinley Park, Oak Forest and Orland Park.

“I bring a new voice to the board,” Wilson said. “I’m not going into this with a particular point-ofview scoped out. I’m interested in listening to what people have to say.”

Wilson said he started attending school board meetings last summer because of the COVID19 pandemic. He said the board wasn’t listening enough to students, families or teachers when it decided to do in-person learning with a hybrid model last November.

“They were reacting in a way that wasn’t necessarily to anyone’s advantage,” Wilson said. “I got frustrated enough to say I guess I’m going to run.”

Wilson said COVID-19 will remain an issue even when people are vaccinated. The district will also have to face the lasting effects of decisions, including to return to full in-person option for families in April. That means repairing relationships with administrators and teachers.

“One of the things we’re going to have to do is reestablish trust,” Wilson said.

Lloyd said the last year has been “emotionally charged,” and he acknowledged that the sense of community that otherwise exists

within the district may have suffered.

“Given the end of last year, a little bit of that may have been lost,” he said. “It really is my goal to rebuild it.”

Lloyd said he has been a strong voice for in-person learning since last summer, and that he is proud District 146 is offering parents a fulltime, in-person option this spring. But he emphasized that it is an option, and said the board also has worked to strengthen remote learning still taking place.

“My feeling is we need to offer the choice to parents,” he said.

Lloyd said, especially when it comes to the district’s youngest learners, it is hard to find positives in a learning environment that means six hours a day in front of a computer screen. Even with older students, he said there are social-emotional concerns about students being away from school.

“It’s an impossible situation,” Lloyd said. “So much of the value of school is what they receive in a classroom, with other students, on a day-to-day basis.”

Aiello said no decision has been easy over the past year. He thinks board members have a similar mindset about the pandemic concerns but approach them from different angles.

“Things change so much,” Aiello said. “We can’t just change spur of the moment. I think all of us agree that we need to get students back to school, but we need to do it safely.”

Aiello said his main concern about the hybrid model approved last fall was the number of days children would be in school. He said he opposed to a halfday model, because he was hearing that it would leave parents figuring out five days of child care rather than a couple if the district had opted for three full days in school. He said he also wants to ensure that students in remote learning are getting the same level of education, and that the district is carefully considering students with special needs.

But he agrees that for the social-emotional well-being of students there is value in getting them back inside the buildings.

“I’m excited to get kids back in full days,” Aiello said. “There’s nothing like in-school learning.”

Wilson said his family chose to stay remote throughout the pandemic, but he understands concerns about the social and physical well-being of students. But the district has seen too many forms of education since March 2020, and families need to know their children are getting a quality education no matter what the model, he said

“I’m not against in-person learning,” Wilson said. “I’m against inequity.”

Wilson said he disagrees with how the school is handling a full in-person return planned in April. But he is not opposed to the safe implementation of a hybrid learning model.

“It’s not perfect by any means, but it’s been equitable,” he said. “It’s worked well.”

Wilson said science and education are important to him. Improving test scores will be another focus if he wins a seat on the board. He knows that, without a slate, he may be the odd member out in some discussions. But he is eager to give voice to another group of families and turn what he sees as too many 7-0 votes into more discussions that include the public.

“That’s how you get to compromise,” he said. “Just being an alternate voice is Square 1.”

Both Lloyd and Aiello said they are proud the school board voted recently to abate $1 million in taxes, and they hope to continue that going forward.

“We’re in a healthy spot financially,” Aiello said.

They also both cited the implementation of full-day kindergarten in the district as a success.

“It was a pretty large undertaking, both from a community standpoint and a facilities standpoint,” Lloyd said.

Aiello said he also is proud of the renovations to Fierke, Kruse, Memorial and Fulton schools, as well as demolishing Sandridge.

Aiello said he and Jackson are running together because they have known each other for a long time and connected over their service to the district.

“We want to do what’s best for the kids at the schools. We don’t always agree with every issue,” Aiello said.

He said while they are running separate from the other two incumbents, he thinks they would be able to work well with whoever is elected.

Lloyd said he thinks the fundamental difference between the slates is that 146 Forward wants “full participation” with families, teachers and administration.

“I don’t feel as though they have put in the time and effort,” he said of Aiello and Jackson. “They failed to make their viewpoints known when it was relevant.”

Lloyd said the 146 Forward slate does not necessarily agree on every issue.

“What we have in common is that we’re putting the students first and foremost,” Lloyd said. “I think we’ll be strong, individual voices on the board.”

Lloyd said their focus immediately would be seeing what the district can do make up for lost education time.

Aiello said he thinks a push toward consolidation of school districts in the state will be a major concern. He also said the district will likely continue to deal with unfunded state mandates.

Election Day is April 6, but early voting is underway.

At a glance

Vincent J. Aiello

Age: 55

Lived in district: 18 years, Orland Park

Occupation: Teacher, 32 years experience

Civic experience: District 146 Board member since 2014.

Julie Berry

Age: 50

Lived in district: 25 years,

Tinley Park

Occupation: Previously taught fourth grade at Kruse Education Center; formerly employed by Statewide Publishing; child care and tutoring.

Civic experience: District 146 Board since 2015; secretary of District 146 Band Parents Association; vice president of the Tinley Park High School Band Board.

Patricia Chlada

Age: 49

Lived in district: Since the early 2000s

Occupation: Administration/office manager

Civic experience: Member of the Kruse PTA; Girl Scout leader; taught religious education for five years; coached cheerleading for Orland Park Pioneers; coached boys and girls volleyball for Orland Youth Association.

Jill Dunlap

Age: 45

Lived in district: Lifelong resident of the Orland Park and Tinley Park area

Occupation: Optometrist

Civic experience: Volunteer in the classroom, on school trips and for school sponsored events; secretary of Fulton Parent-Teacher Organization; active member of Parents Assisting Central Twisters at Central Middle School.

Julie Jackson

Age: 56

Lived in district: Since

1970, Tinley Park

Occupation: Caregiver for grandson, former area sales manager

Civic experience: District 146 Board since 2005.

Richard E. Lloyd III

Age: 41

Lived in district: since 2008, Orland Park

Occupation: Accountant and financial adviser

Civic experience: District 146 Board since 2016; board member for the Twin Hearts Autism Foundation; board member and treasurer for St. Gregory’s Episcopal School in the North Lawndale neighborhood of Chicago.

Shane Wilson

Age: 50

Lived in district: Since

2018, Orland Park

Occupation: Communications manager for the Museum of Science and Industry

Civic experience: Votes regularly, but no elected experience.