Dupage Policy Journal

Spencer Garrett is a candidate on the April 4 ballot for a seat on the Community Unit School District 200 school board in Wheaton.

Garrett wants to “Reverse the decline of academic performance which was 80 to 90% proficiency in 2011 to the current 44% proficiency in core subjects." He also noted that taxpayers "have had over 30% increase to school property tax which makes up over 70% of our property tax bills during a time when total enrollment has dropped over a 1000 students.” 

“I am running to bring back academic rigor, to preserve childhood and to restore the joy of learning with our children,” Garrett told DuPage Policy Journal. “What sparked my interest in running for the board was showing up at a school board meeting to speak out against why the current board who admitted that the book Gender Queer ‘was legitimizing pornography’ but thought it would help students, that 'the school is exempt from pornography laws' so they can justify having this in the schools. This is in the FOIAed meeting minutes that the district tried to cancel but [was] required to release due to violations of public meeting laws. District 200 has a gender support plan without parental consent written by an activist organization out of New York City. I find any plan for any child without parental consent a direct threat to the families of District 200.”

Garrett pointed to a tweet in which Russell Lissau, a writer for the Daily Herald, asked community members to out “political extremists” looking to remove such books from the underage school population. “If you live in the Des Plaines, Wheeling, Barrington or Mundelein areas and learn of candidates for school/library/ municipal boards in 2023 who are political extremists --particularly anyone who wants to restrict sex ed, restrict LGBTQ+ rights or ban books --let me know.” Lissau said in a tweet.

“Also the above tweet seemed to be a threat from a major newspaper and I am not going to back down to special interest / activist organizations like the writer for the Daily Herald who obviously thinks that I am a ‘political extremist’ because I have problems with porn in our schools,” Garrett said.

 “The ‘comprehensive personal health and safety education’ cleverly hidden as abortion rights, sexual pleasure education masquerading as human rights, gender, and sexual and reproductive health education is a major attempt by radical activists to sexualize our children," Garrett said. "I will do everything in my power to make sure this onslaught from national education association and Gov. Pritzker do not take over District 200.” 

“I have served on multiple boards for the better part of 30 years," Garrett added. "I am currently board president of one board and treasurer of another non-profit and I have over 50 years of cumulative board of director experience. My children are grown. I am a grandpa, married to a grandma for 30 years this next year. We have two grandchildren and five children. Four of my five children were in the district at Longfellow and Franklin. We have great teachers in the district and amazing families in the district. I and the three likeminded candidates Kim Hobbs on the two-year ballot, Amy Erkenswick and David Sohmer on the four-year ballot are running a positive campaign of common sense for a brighter future for District 200.”

The Parents for CUSD 200 Children slate consists of Hobbs, Erkenswick, Garrett, and Sohmer. The slate's Facebook page has outlined its goals.

“While we appreciate the many ways that District 200 has positively impacted our community, we recognize there are a number of areas that will require significant attention," the candidates posted. "This list of focus areas includes, but is not limited to: academic decline; parental rights and consent; age-appropriate LLC materials and curriculum; fiscal responsibility; transparency with the community.”

Community Unit School District 200 is headquartered at 130 W Park Ave. in Wheaton. It oversees 20 schools and 11,709 students and employs 928 classroom teachers.