Three incumbents reelected to St. Charles School Board

St. Charles Dist. 303 School Board members Ed McNally, Heidi Fairgrieve and Carolyn Waibel have won reelection to the board.

According to unofficial results in Kane and DuPage counties, McNally was the highest vote-getter with 3,694 votes, followed by Fairgrieve with 3,308 votes and Waibel with 3,183 votes. In a close race, it also appears parent Kate Bell won election to the board.

Bell received 3,103 votes, compared to 3,100 votes for retired St. Charles North High School music teacher Jim Stombres. The pandemic and its impact on students emerged as one of the issues in the race.

On Monday, Dist. 303 middle school and high school students returned to in-person learning five days a week. The change is taking place as a result of the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Illinois State Board of Education recently releasing revised public health guidance for schools.

Social distance for in-person learning is now defined as 3 to 6 feet for students and fully vaccinated staff.

“Maintaining 6 feet remains the safest distance, but schools can operate at no less than 3 feet in order to provide in-person learning,” stated the Illinois State Board of Education. “Unvaccinated staff should maintain 6 feet social distance as much as possible because adults remain more susceptible to infection than children. Strict adherence to social distancing must be maintained when face masks are removed in limited situations and monitored by school staff.”