On February 25, 2025, Naperville Community Television (NCTV17) held a forum for the five candidates running for the four open seats on the Naperville Community Unit School District 203 Board of Education.
Hosted by Mark Wright, the forum allowed voters to hear directly from the candidates about the key issues they’ll face if elected.
All five District 203 Board candidates attended the forum
The candidates running for the Naperville Community Unit School District 203 Board of Education were seated according to a lottery from left to right.
- Marc Willensky
- Charles Cush (Incumbent)
- Holly Joy Blastic
- Jillian Langer
- Amanda McMillen (Incumbent)
Key issues discussed by District 203 Board candidates
Candidates answered questions relating to the school day structure, e-learning, and college and career-readiness.
All candidates were given two minutes to answer the following questions:
- Innovative School Experience: What is your position on the proposed “Innovative School Experience” that includes changes to the school day structure?
- E-Learning: How can the district enhance its approach to e-learning to better support students and educators?
- Staff Retention: What strategies should the board prioritize to attract and retain highly qualified faculty and staff?
- College and Career-readiness: How does the Board of Education ensure District 203 students are college and career-ready?
- Social-Emotional Learning: What are your thoughts on mental health resources and social-emotional learning (SEL) programs in Naperville 203?
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Would you propose any changes to the district’s current Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policy?
- Sustainability: What, if any, sustainability/green initiatives do you support or recommend for the district?
And, for the last question, only a minute per answer was given.
- At the end of the day, why should the residents cast a vote for you?
More candidate forums to come
The remaining races in the Naperville Consolidated Election will also have LIVE candidate forums, airing at 7 p.m. on Channel 17 and NCTV17.org:
- Indian Prairie School District 204 Forum – Tuesday, March 11
- Naperville City Council Forum – Tuesday, March 25
As part of NCTV17’s commitment to keeping the community informed, each candidate was also invited to participate in a TV interview to share their platform on “Meet the Candidates.”
The placement of this forum on the NCTV17 website does not represent an endorsement of any candidate.
Naperville Community Television is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to creating an informed, connected, and empowered community.