Aguirre, Standfield lead contested races on Joliet District 86 board

The leading candidates for the contested races for the Joliet Public Schools District 86 board were Sandra Aguirre and incumbent R. Emil Standfield, as of about 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

Seven candidates ran for five seats on the District 86 Board of School Inspectors.

The candidates running for for the board were Sandra Aguirre, Deborah Ziech, Delia Ulloa-Jimenez, Jesse Smith, Elvis Madison, R. Emil Standfield, and Jazmin Martinez.

The seats up for election include one at-large seat with a four-year term, two east side seats with a four-year term, one west side seat with a two-year term and one west side seat for the four-year term.

Aguirre was the leading candidate for the at-large seat, with 3,937 votes, while her opponent, Ziech, had 3,201 votes, with 100% of precincts reporting as of about 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

Standfield led the race for the west side seat with a four-year term, with 2,726 votes, while his opponent, Martinez, had 2,243 votes, with 100% of precincts reporting as of about 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

Elvis Madison ran unopposed for the west side seat with a two-year term. Ulloa-Jimenez and Smith both ran for the two open east side seats.

Ziech said she ran for the at-large seat, because it is “imperative that school board members hold the district responsible not only for the academic success of our students, but also for financial transparency and the integrity of our resources,” she said.

Aguirre, who is running for the board of school inspectors at-large seat, said District 86 “has so many serious issues,” she can’t choose only one. At the top is bullying and violence, perhaps due to overpopulation in the schools, she said.

Ulloa-Jimenez said she is running for the board of school inspectors East side seat to help narrow “the communication gap between Spanish-speaking parents and the administration, board, teachers and staff” of District 86.