Casten, Renner, Dawson Snag Seats In District 99 Race: Election 2023

DOWNERS GROVE, IL — Three new school board members were elected to the Community High School District 99 Board of Education Tuesday. The new member are Kara Casten, Dan Renner and Ken Dawson.

Casten, Renner and Dawson will take the oath of office May 15 to start their four-year terms.

Here are the unofficial results from Tuesday's election, with 100 percent of precincts reporting:

Christopher Todd Erickson: 5,073 votes

Barbara Allen: 5,547 votes

Kara Casten: 8,628 votes

Dana Cox: 5,492 votes

Don Renner: 7,271 votes

Ken Dawson: 7,406 votes

“We look forward to welcoming Kara, Ken and Don as members of our School Board,” District 99 Superintendent Dr. Hank Thiele said in a statement.

Thiele added,“Serving as a member is a huge commitment, and we look forward to collaborating with the members to ensure the continued success of our students and schools.”

Casten and Dawson will be serving on the District 99 board for the first time, whereas Renner had previously served on the board between 2015 and 2019.

Three District 99 board members did not seek reelection in 2023. Elected in 2011, Nancy Kupka eventually became president of the board. Michael Davenport was also elected as a board member in 2011 and became vice president in 2019. Joanna Vazquez Drexler was elected to the District 200 board in 2019.

Dr. Thiele shared words of thanks for the outgoing members, saying, "All three members leave a positive legacy of support for public education, and we are grateful for their service to District 99."

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