Incumbent Cal Davis has lost his reelection to what would have been his final term as a member of the River Forest School District 90 Board of Education.
Davis came in last place with 16.64% of votes as of Tuesday night’s results.
Davis was not able to be reached for comment.
The three open seats for board members, who will be serving four-year terms, have gone to Joseph Cortese, Eric Isenberg and Kristine Mackey.
“It was a long haul, and everybody is just grateful that it ended in this way,” Mackey said. “I think there are a lot of people who were part of this election, especially parents of kids, who really believe it was time for some change and I think the voters probably reflected those feelings.”
Out of the 8,356 registered voters in the district, 1,571 ballots were cast, a voter turnout of 18.8%.
Mackey, alongside Isenberg and Cortese, had previously expressed concern regarding the district’s current reading curriculum and believed it is overdue for an evaluation.
“There is a lot of work to do, and I am really enthusiastic about it,” Mackey said. “I feel like it is work that won’t be grueling but will be necessary work to carry on with all the things that are going really well and to raise a hand and review things that need a little bit of review.”
Mackey sang the praises of the newcomers who were voted in alongside her, saying that Isenberg is tied to the education world and Cortese’s finance background is needed for the work ahead.
Cortese echoed those sentiments.
“I am very excited about the results but also looking forward to beginning the work that we want to do,” Cortese said, saying this was the first step in what will be a long road to serve the community.
Tuesday night’s results had Isenberg receiving the majority of the votes with 1,208 or 29.01%, followed by Mackey with 1,137 or 27.31%, and Cortese in third with 1,126 or 27.04%.
The new members will be joining Stacey Williams, Nicole Thompson, Sarah Eckmann and Katie Avalos on the board of education.
“I really have a lot of respect for the people who currently serve, and I am looking forward to working with them,” Mackey said.
