Kane County Reporter

An effort by a group of St. Charles parents to recall five of the six members of the District 303 school board is gathering attention after an interview with one of the parents on Chicago's "Morning Answer" radio show on Feb. 5. 

The group of parents, dubbed the District 303 Move Forward group, is petitioning for the recall of school board members Nick Manheim (board president), Carolyn Waibel (board vice president), Jillian Barker (board secretary), Becky McCabe and Edward McNally. 

District 303 Move Forward member and parent Michelle Castile told the radio show that 22 parents had started the petition. She said the reasons behind the recall include declines in student academic performance even before the COVID-19 pandemic, lack of regard for student well-being and other "data-driven decisions."

"[The board] does not always follow policy," Castile said. "[There is] lack of transparency, communication, accountability and some conflicts of interest."

As a result, the group has started the petition and asked the five board members to resign from their positions. 

The petition, filed with the Kane County Recorder's Office, has been receiving mixed opinions from the public, Castile said. She alleged that many people who have been in the district for several years have been coming forward with experiences of their own regarding similar board behavior. 

Castile said that the group has been receiving much support, sometimes in silence. She added that that for the last three years composite SAT scores were below 1,100, and the district ranked sixth among eight comparable area districts. She believes the board needs more diverse members with professional experience in accountability mechanisms, a wider perspective and data-driven, decision-making skills. 

"We have some board members with an educational background, board members who have not been in the professional world for years, Castile said. "We only have one professional on the on the board, and she is not being recalled because she's demonstrated at the board table that she wants to hold the superintendent accountable. She wants to address academic decline and focus on student well-being. We need more board members like that."