Meet the Candidates for District 86 School Board

Patch contacted each of this year's six candidates running for three open seats on the Hinsdale Township High School District 86 school board. We asked all of them the same questions regarding their background and thoughts and concerns for the school district.

Listed here in no particular order is a look at what they said. Click on the candidate's name to see their full response to our questionnaires.

Candidates:

Jennifer Planson

• Home town: Willowbrook
• Age: 42
• Family: Craig, husband; Haley, daughter, 14; Ethan, son, 12
• Education: B.S. degree in Sociology from Illinois State University
• Occupation: Stay at home mom

What will be your single most important priority if you get elected?  

My single most important priority will be ensuring an open and direct dialog with the community regarding the master facility plan. It is critical to have community forums, tours and discussions regarding the condition of each school, the building usage for each school and the overall plan for improvement, which will allow for transparency and community buy-in.

Michael M. Kuhn

• Home town: Hinsdale
• Age: 47
• Education: MS in School Counseling, National Louis University; BA in Business Administration, Management Communications, Elmhurst College
• Occupation: Small Business owner/student

What will be your single most important priority if you get elected?

I want to continue my work on the facilities committee, and I believe that having someone who knows the history of the schools is a benefit to the district. The board is currently working on a master planning document for the schools, and I would like to finish that work.

Vinaya K. Sharma

• Home town: Hinsdale
• Age: 39
• Family: Parents and two sisters (I prefer to not list their personal information)
• Education: BSBA in Actuarial Science, Drake University
• Occupation: Actuary

What will be your single most important priority if you get elected?

My priority will be providing a quality education for the students in District 86 in a fiscally responsible format.

Bruce C. Davidson

• Home address: Hinsdale  
• Family: Sally, wife; daughter at Hinsdale Central; four adult children
• Education: BSE (CE):  University of Michigan; JD:  University of Michigan
• Occupation: Law practice as sole practitioner

What will be your single most important priority if you get elected?

My priority will be to assess, and respond with accountability to, the needs of the community—the entire community.

Claudia D. Manley

• Home town: Darien
• Age: 46 
• Family: Noel, husband, 46; Claire, daughter, 16; Amelia, daughter, 13 
• Education: Bachelor of Science, Political Science, Illinois State University, Minor in Legal Studies; Juris Doctor (Law Degree) IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law (emphasis of study, labor and employment law) 
• Occupation: I am a licensed attorney by trade working in the area of labor and employment.

What will be your single most important priority if you get elected? 

We believe it is of utmost importance at this time to bring previously unseen openness to this District. We will do this because there is nothing to hide, and we should be living models for the students of District #86, demonstrating these are values worthy of living by. We will place the district checkbook online. We oppose the “tax and spend” philosophy and favor responsible transparent spending for the benefit of all students.

Richard J. Skoda

• Home town: Hinsdale
• Age: 57
• Family: Janet, wife; Susan, daughter; Laura, daughter
• Education: B.S. in History and English from Illinois State University; M.S. in History from Illinois State University; Doctorate in History from Illinois State University
• Occupation: 35 year career educator on the secondary and university level, retired.

What will be your single most important priority if you get elected?

Team Davidson/Manley/Skoda will bring a previously unseen openness and transparency to the running of this district. Primarily, one will see this priority in our pledge to put the district checkbook online. Our team also will not authorize any backdoor referenda that allow the board to borrow money, which raises taxes, without taxpayer approval.

Check back with Patch for more election coverage.