Dupage Policy Journal

State Rep. Ron Sandack (R-Downers Grove) recently sponsored a bill that would move school board elections to popular election cycles.

Elections for school board members currently occur at times when voter turnout is historically low despite elected members holding such responsibilities as setting tax rates that comprise the lion’s share of property tax bills.

“The taxes earmarked for schools represent the largest chunk of all property owners’ tax bills,” Sandack said. “It makes no sense at all that today we elect the people who make those taxing decisions in spring elections when voter turnout is dismal.”

The proposed legislation, H.B. 296, would move the dates for elections for local and county school board members from their current odd-numbered year spring elections to the general fall elections in even numbered years.

“School board members make significant decisions regarding taxpayer dollars at the local level,” Sandack said. “Unfortunately, most people do not know much about their elected school board members and do not even vote in the elections when these people are chosen. It only makes sense that we would move these important races to ballots when the highest numbers of people are tuned in to the political process.”

H.B. 296 makes up part of Sandack’s comprehensive 2015 taxpayer protection agenda.