Journal & Topics Media Group

Endorsement: 3 Incumbents, Newcomer For District 214 Board


Sparked by a year of COVID-19 and the pandemic’s effects on schools, eight candidates stepped forward to run for four seats on the seven-member Township High School Dist. 214 Board of Education.

We believe three of those candidates, incumbents Millie Palmer, Lenny Walker and Mark Hineman, along with first-time candidate Andrea Rauch, deserve voters’ support in the April 6 consolidated election.

The four, running as “Supporters of District 214”, offer experience on the board, plus a fresh perspective. 

A 43-year-old mother of two, Rauch, of Arlington Heights, has shown she has a solid grip on the district’s transitioning from remote learning to more flexible offerings. She also seems in tune with the district’s anti-racism plan and has good ideas about improving community outreach.

Palmer, 55, of Arlington Heights, continues to impress with her background in school involvement at Rolling Meadows and work as a local lawyer. Her commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in the district should be applauded. The board would also benefit from her calls to focus on social-emotional learning. Palmer is seeking her second full term.

Walker, 62, works in the floral industry. A self-proclaimed “good listener,” he brings to the board an impressive resume of volunteer work at Wheeling High School. We believe he still has the drive to see through some of the district’s bigger issues, like the anti-racism strategic plan and engaging with the public in new ways. Walker is seeking his second consecutive term on the board.

Hineman, 67, a metallurgical engineer, brings a Mount Prospect resident’s view to the board. We agree with his views on board members remaining flexible when it comes to giving families and staff choices in how they deal with COVID-19 (hybrid learning vs. remote vs. in-person), as well as flexibility with students and their plans for life after high school. Hineman is seeking his fourth term on the board.

Candidates Elizabeth Bauer, 51, of Arlington Heights, and Richard Menninga, 52, of Arlington Heights, bring some interesting ideas and calls for change to the race. Both have called for a complete return of students to classrooms during the COVID-19 pandemic, plus a greater sense of openness and transparency in the board’s decision-making.

Also in the race are candidates Tony Rosselli and Jackie Ryan who are running with Bauer and Menninga as “District 214 Parents for Kids.”

However, when it comes to serving on the board the next four years, we feel Dist. 214 would benefit most from the proven leadership of Palmer, Walker and Hineman, and a new voice in Rauch.

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