Meet District 159 Board Of Education Candidate Jennifer Riedl

MOKENA, IL — The upcoming election is less than one week away, and early voting has already started. In Mokena, one of the contested local races is the race for District 159 Board of Education. There are three open positions on the board, and Jennifer Riedl is one of the four candidates running.

Riedl and her husband, Greg, live in Mokena, and she has three children. She currently serves on the Board of Education and is the president of the board.

Riedl said the most pressing issue facing the district is building maintenance and repair.

"About a year into my current term, I began requesting a maintenance and facility spending plan from our superintendent at the time," she said. "It was clear to me that we were spending lots of money to repair our buildings and the systems in them. Deficit spending was the norm at the time. As time went on, it became increasingly apparent that we needed to evaluate our buildings."

She said she plans to hold the district accountable to a plan and proper spending to repair, replace and upgrade facilities.

"In addition to facility upgrades and repairs, student achievement and continued fiscal responsibility are my important issues," Riedl said. "Student achievement is an encompassing issue that includes curriculum, differentiation, test scores, and teacher professional development. Fiscal responsibility, evaluating our district needs, anticipating and planning for the future with a knowledge and understanding of potential legislative changes and committing to what is best for ALL students."

There are three open positions on the board in the upcoming April 2 election. The other three candidates include incumbents Michael Everett, Jaime Staley and newcomer Pete Anaya.

If you are a candidate in the upcoming April 2 election, you can email andrea.earnest@patch.com for a candidate questionnaire.