Full Name: Erik Wold
What office are you seeking? Somonauk School Board district 432
What is your political party? Republican
What is your current age? 40
Occupation and Employer: Highway Maintainer IDOT
What offices, if any, have you previously held?
City: Somonauk
Campaign Website:
Education: Graduated from Somonauk High School in 2000. During my senior year I attended auto-mechanics at IVVC in Sandwich.
Community involvement: I spent 4 years on Somonauk’s St. Johns Lutheran Church’s council, and Somonauk Summer Rec board.
Marital status/Immediate family: I am married to my awesome wife Jessica, a 2003 Somonauk graduate, and we have 3 kids together, a freshman, a 6th grader and a 3rd grader.
Why are you running for office?
I would like to help make tough decisions that seem to be coming up for our school district. I would like to see more pride in our school district and more enthusiasm like we have had in the past.
What makes you qualified for the office you’re seeking?
My parents graduated from Somonauk, my wife and I graduated from Somonauk, and my children will graduate from Somonauk. I will take pride in tough decision making that seems to be arising in our school district. After I graduated from Somonauk, I went on to serve 6 years in the Army National Guard, including a combat tour in 2004. The training I received and the situations that I have gone through have helped me become a confident team player. I also feel as though in my current position at work, I can do well with getting people to work together and get the job done the best we can.
Have you sought and/or received any training to run for your local school board? If so, from whom?
I have spoken to current and previous board members in order to understand what would be expected of me so I am better prepared and understand the issues at hand
Would you propose any changes to the curriculum? If so, what?
I would not at this time.
Are LGBTQ students treated fairly in your district?
I believe all people should be treated fairly and if all people are not being treat fairly, the school should intervene and come up with a plan
What is your assessment of how Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is handled in your school district?
DE&I is a big focus across America right now and everyones understanding of it will continue to evolve. Developing DE&I initiatives will set a baseline for our future generations.
Do you believe the district needs to make any changes to improve DEI in your district?
I don’t think that the district needs to make any changes that I am aware of at this moment and time.
Are teachers in your district paid adequately now and in retirement?
Yes, I think is one of the highest paying districts in the area. I also believe that Illinois has a great pension plan.
Would you support changes to teacher pay scales? If so, how?
I would have to see specifically what changes would need to be made. I believe in order to keep good teachers, they need to be paid well, but financial responsibility is also important for a school board. To find a fair balance of teachers getting paid well to attract the highest quality educators, and keeping the tax burden in mind is very important.
What is your assessment of the district superintendent’s compensation?
I feel that he is compensated well for the job he is tasked with. I think the superintendent is paid well compared to similar sized districts.
Would you make any changes to how the district superintendent is compensated?
I do not think at this time any changes are need to be made.
Do you support the current superintendent? Please explain.
I do believe our superintendent is trying to do his best to navigate the district. I would like to help keep it going in the right direction, even though I may disagree with him on some of the issues that arise. I feel like I do have a good relationship with Mr. Streicher and we could agree or disagree and compromise on what’s best for the district.
Should schools in your district adopt and teach sex education according to the National Sex Education Standards? Please explain.
I am for age appropriate SES, I believe that education of these topics are to be taught at the discretion of the students parent/guardian. I do not feel the responsibility is on the district to decide when a child is ready for sex education. Each parent is different, and each child is different. It should be up to each parent/guardian’s situation.
What is your assessment of how the COVID-19 pandemic was handled locally?
I was unfortunately in disagreement with the handling of school closings, because of the young age of my children and the consequence it could have had on their overall education. While I did disagree, I understand the decisions that were made as they were very difficult especially at the beginning of the pandemic.
What did you learn from the pandemic?
I would say that we have all learned that we have some catching up to do, and closing schools is not an option. Education, social life, and teachers, especially for younger students, are more important than anyone realized. Another thing that I learned, was re-prioritizing family. I now know what family first means, and that while education, social life, and everything with school is important, family is first.
Are voters that support your district taxed at an appropriate level?
I would love to see our taxes lowered, we need to find a balance of keeping a great district and trying our best to lower our tax level.
Would you support any plans to raise taxes in the district? If so, what should the additional revenue be spent on?
At this time I would not support any raise in taxes.
Would you support lowering taxes in the district? If so, what programs or services in the district would you cut?
I would possibly support lowering taxes, but we have to look closely at what can be streamlined. We don’t want to lose any quality in education or cut to many extra opportunities for the children of the district.
Will you accept the voters’ decision in your race on Election Day?
I will of course accept the voter’s decision on election day.
What is your position on open, transparent government?
I am always for open transparent government, especially at the school board level. I believe in being open and honest in all aspects of life.
Do you support the Freedom of Information Act and citizens’ ability to freely access government records?
As a state employee, I do support it. As I said in previous question, I believe in being open and honest in all aspects of life, when we are spending tax payer dollars we need to let the citizens of this great country/state/district be able to access records.