Conservative Runs For LTHS Board

LA GRANGE, IL – It's not easy finding the political views of the candidates for the Lyons Township High School board in next April's election.

But candidate Tim Vlcek is an open book. Most of his Facebook posts over the last couple of years involve politics.

If his posts are an indication, Vlcek, a La Grange Park resident, is conservative. He has posts showing support for President Donald Trump, though not since 2020. And he has repeatedly expressed his opposition to President Joe Biden.

In an interview, Vlcek said he considers himself pragmatic and a problem-solver.

"My approach is that I use data and facts to help make decisions," he said.

Vlcek has had four children go through Lyons Township High School. For the last couple of years, he said he has volunteered as a mentor in the school's incubator program.

In early November 2020, Vlcek posted a video of a Trump flag flying at his house. He and his daughter attended a Trump rally in Kenosha, Wisconsin, around the same time.

"The media tries to downplay the Trump rallies, but you can’t make this up, there are thousands of energized people here. God Bless America," Vlcek said in a post about the event.

At the same time, Vlcek was relatively quiet in the months after the election about Trump's efforts to overturn the results. And he had little to say about the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.

"According to the Constitution, the election stands as it is," he said. "I don't say anything about Trump anymore."

Since 2021, conservatives in the Lyons Township High School area and across the country have accused schools of teaching critical race theory. Patch could find no posts from Vlcek about the subject.

He told Patch that race is often the focus at the high school when it shouldn't be. But he said he wouldn't go so far as to say that critical race theory is being taught at the school.

"I don't make accusations without having facts," he said.

He said his biggest concern was the school's dropping rating, a trend that he said must be reversed.

On Facebook, Vlcek weighed in when a teacher resigned last summer from the high school in protest over grading policies.

"Total destruction of our education system by people who are not qualified for the positions they hold," Vlcek said in a post, apparently referring to school leaders. "Time to completely remove the current school board at LT and put people in place who care about our country’s future."

He also opposed Lyons Township High School's decision to withhold official recognition from the conservative Turning Point USA's local chapter.

"This is another attempt by the radical left to silence conservatives and portray them as racists and white supremacists," Vlcek said. "I'm encouraging LT Alumni to contact the school and help support students with conservative views and put an end to the disinformation by the left."

Vlcek also put the spotlight on gender issues. He posted a meme that stated, "Teach your boys to be men before their teachers teach them to be women."

In March 2021, Vlcek wrote, "Biden was at the CDC today touting that 'science is back' (as if it never left). So my question is, if you are born with a penis are you a male and if you’re born with a vagina are you a female?"

Vlcek is one of the nine candidates seeking three seats on the Lyons Township High School board. The election is April 4.