Group Backs 3 Hinsdale D86 Candidates

HINSDALE, IL – A political committee formed last week that aims to raise money for three candidates for the Hinsdale High School District 86 board.

The three candidates are Andrew Catton of Hinsdale, Catherine Greenspon of Burr Ridge and Kay Gallo of Clarendon Hills. They are vying for three board seats in the April 4 election.

The other two candidates are Deborah Clare Willoughby of Westmont and Asma Akhras of Darien.

The committee is called "Gallo, Greenspon, Catton for D86." Its chairwoman is Angela Sartori, who wants Superintendent Tammy Prentiss replaced.

All three candidates also support Prentiss' ouster.

On Monday, Patch reported about Catton's posts on social media. He shared items that urged families to remove children from public schools and called for people to assume sexual abuse takes place at such schools unless proven otherwise.

In a brief interview Friday, Greenspon said, "We are not running together as a slate. I'm running as an individual."

In an email to Patch, Catton said, "I am not involved with a D86 committee, but welcome the opportunity to win over more supporters. I cannot speak for the other candidates, but as for myself, I am running my own campaign."

Gallo also said she, too, was running independently. Asked about Catton's posts, Gallo said she supports public schools and is against underfunding them.

Gallo, a former District 86 board chairwoman, has her own political committee. So far, her biggest reported contributor is Dan Levinthal of Hinsdale, who has given $2,000.

Levinthal is the husband of District 86 board member Debbie Levinthal.

A few months after Debbie Levinthal took office in 2021, her husband denounced District 86. He even raised the possibility that parents may want to send their children to private school or move away.

In the last election, two groups of candidates ran successfully as teams. Peggy James and Jeff Waters raised nearly $30,000 together. Terri Walker and Debbie Levinthal pulled in nearly $15,000 as a team; they are no longer allies on the board.