Downers Grove District 58 will host a forum Monday, Oct. 19, for residents considering a run for school board.
The optional session runs from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Downers Grove Civic Center, 850 Curtiss St., as first reported by Shaw Local. The forum will explain what a board member does and take questions from prospective candidates, according to the district.
Three seats on the seven-member board are on the ballot in the April 6 consolidated election. Each carries a four-year term. The seats are currently held by board members Kirat Doshi, Emily Hanus and Steve Olczyk.
Three openings at once means voters will choose nearly half the board in a single election, giving the race outsized influence over the direction of the district's schools.
Petition timeline already open
Candidates could begin circulating nominating petitions on Aug. 25, so the signature-gathering window is already open. Completed nominating papers must be filed between Nov. 16 and Nov. 23 at the DuPage County Election Commission, 421 N. County Farm Road, Wheaton.
That one-week filing window is tight. Prospective candidates who miss the Nov. 23 deadline will not appear on the April 6 ballot.
Petition packets are available on the DuPage County Election Commission's website under "Candidate Information." The commission fields candidate questions at 630-407-5600.
What prospective candidates should know
The Oct. 19 forum is optional. The district described it as a chance for prospective candidates to learn about the role before committing to a campaign. No registration requirement was listed in the district's announcement.
District 58 serves elementary and middle school students across Downers Grove. Board members set policy, approve budgets and oversee the superintendent. The three open seats represent the largest single-election turnover the board can see without a special vacancy.
The forum begins at 6 p.m. Monday at the Civic Center, and the filing deadline with DuPage County is Nov. 23.
