Here is the District 300 School District’s Black Box ad sans the the box:

John Lopez, a resident of District 300, explains school board conditions:

Something Forgotten About Local School Boards – D300 Township Residency Requirements

While Illinois Policy Institute’s help welcome, something left out for interested candidates in one of the local school boards is important to know — Community Unit School District 300 township residency requirements.

To be clear, all school board candidates in D300 will appear on the ballot, and in 2023, 4 of the 7 candidates are up for election and all voters can cast votes for any of the candidates, voting for up-to-four candidates listed on the ballot.

State law (and admittedly outdated) requires districts like D300 to have equal representation across D300, and the law specifically uses township residency to balance the board by limiting the D300 school board to a maximum of 3 residents of one particular township serving at one time.

In D300, four townships are where 99.8% of residents live: Algonquin, Dundee, Rutland and Hampshire

This year, the following board members in D300 terms are up, and it is unknown if any/all will seek reelection:

• Joe Stevens, Rutland TownshipNancy Zettler, Dundee Township
  Leslie Lamarca, Rutland Township
• Steve Fiorentino, Algonquin Township

The remaining D300 board members NOT up for election in 2023 are important to know where they live.

• Emmanuel Thomas, Dundee Township
• David Scarpino, Hampshire Township
• Christine Birkett, Dundee Township

With two D300 board members from Dundee Township NOT up for election in 2023, D300 residents can only elect ONE D300 school board member from Dundee Township on April 4. Assuming Nancy Zettler seeks reelection, opponents who want to target her for defeat, like former Darren Bailey campaign staffer Bret Corrigan vocally called for earlier this year, D300 residents should limit their challengers to ONE Dundee Township resident.

Otherwise, and as seen in past D300 school board elections over the years, someone within the top 4 vote-getters cannot be seated, even if two Dundee Township residents have the most votes on April 4, only ONE Dundee Township resident can win.

Similarly, Hampshire Township have a limit of 2 candidates who can win election on April 4.

Both Algonquin and Rutland townships can elect the maximum 3 residents from their township.

Hopefully, challengers to the teacher’s union-controlled D300 school board will use real strategy to plan their campaigns this spring, and we’ll all know who files between December 12-19.