Hinsdale Township District 86 Residents Reinstate Caucus

HINSDALE, IL — A group of Hinsdale Township District 86 residents has come together to reestablish the D86 Caucus to identify and endorse candidates for the three open seats on the District 86 Board of Education in the April 2019 Consolidated Election. According to a release from the group, the caucus will solicit interested candidates to participate in an application and interview process this fall.

The caucus is a non-partisan group of volunteers representing each of the elementary school districts that feed into District 86 at both Hinsdale South and Hinsdale Central high schools. The group said in a release that re-establishing the caucus was the collective idea of many community members.

“We’re looking for candidates who have the integrity to recognize and try to meet the needs of every student in the district,” caucus member Erin Doppke said in a release.

D86 Caucus endorsement will provide voters with the assurance that a particular candidate is both motivated and qualified to participate in the school governance process and has met many of the characteristics of effective school board members as outlined by the Illinois Association of School Boards, the group said in a release.

The caucus has outlined several characteristics in the individuals it seeks to endorse, including: a strong sense of responsibility to District 86 as a whole, not a special interest or partisan political group; a team approach to problem-solving; and an understanding of the board’s governance role in setting policy and hiring and evaluating the superintendent.

“A strong candidate will recognize that the board’s role is to set goals and then allow the administration to use their expertise to accomplish those goals,” Jen Backus, D86 Caucus chair, said in a release.

Endorsement applications must be submitted by Sept. 14. Members of the D86 Caucus will then review and provide feedback to candidates along with dates for in-person interviews.

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