Crystal Lake District 47

Family legacy lives on, but Rob Fetzner ends tenure as Crystal Lake District 47 school board member.

A long-time competitive singer, Donna Bates was set to compete at the Sweet Adelines regional competition in Milwaukee last weekend, just days after she and her husband, Joseph, were killed in a downstate Illinois crash.

Lundahl Middle School student Sedona Semradek has been selected as a 2023 Scholar Attitude Award winner by a panel of coaches, athletic directors, principals and officials from the Illinois Elementary School Association.

The winner was picked out of 40 teachers, staff and administrators who were nominated across McHenry County. Along with the Educator of the Year, eight others won in their respective categories as well.

Crystal Lake teacher Michelle Heidrich and son Ethan co-authored the children’s book “My Brother Has Cancer.” Based on the family’s experiences, the book was released about a year after the death of Heidrich’s oldest son, Will, who died in 2022 at age 17.

The voters and parents Crystal Lake School District 47 candidate Lisa Messinger spoke to on the campaign trail wanted “to celebrate diversity, equity and inclusion” in the district’s students, she said.

Voters went to the polls on Tuesday to elect school boards across McHenry County.

Nearly four dozen of the local races in McHenry County will be competitive on Tuesday, as voters head to the polls to decide who will lead their school boards, municipalities, libraries and parks.

Nine candidates are running in the April 4 race for four open seats on the Crystal Lake District 47 school board.

Armed with $5.6 million in federal grant funding, Crystal Lake Elementary District 47 will expand services to help a growing number of students in need of mental and social-emotional support.

Here are all the candidate questionnaires for Crystal Lake races.

Crystal Lake Elementary School District 47′s online kindergarten registration for the 2023-24 school year is now open with the last chance to win a free T-shirt Wednesday.

Question: What is your assessment of how Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is handled in your school district? Answer: I believe District 47 has taken a thoughtful approach to looking at and addressing diversity, equity and inclusion. Read Devon Hubbard Tessmer's questionnaire here

Question: Would you propose any changes to the curriculum? If so, what? Answer: I believe setting and monitoring a curriculum is a partnership between the board and the district. Read Laura Stanton's full election questionnaire here.

Question: Why are you running for office? Answer: My No. 1 motivation is my kids, which for me is transferrable to all kids in our community. My goal is to ensure the best education in a safe environment for the children of our community. Read Emily Smith's questionnaire here