Blame State For Disruption: Elmhurst D205 Official

ELMHURST, IL – Election Day is a day off in Elmhurst School District 205 under a calendar the school board approved Tuesday.

The district had no choice in the matter. In 2021, Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a bill into law making Election Day a holiday, meaning schools must be closed.

At a board meeting, member Kara Caforio said she wanted to highlight the state mandate.

"Even though it's disrupting to learning and requires families to figure out child care, we have to close," she said. "Those decisions are not made by us. It's important that people are aware of who is making those decisions and how they impact our families. I feel for families who are trying to figure things out for child care."

The board voted unanimously for the calendar.

The state law only applies to November elections during even-numbered years. For instance, it does not affect April elections in odd-numbered years, which typically have far lower turnout and involve local offices such as school boards, park boards and city councils.

Caforio has made her views known on the calendar before. In 2021, she objected to eliminating Good Friday as a holiday. As a result, she was the lone dissenter in the calendar vote.

Good Friday is a holiday next year in District 205.