A North Cook News analysis of political donations by New Trier High School District 203 employees found 131 contributions to Democrats and three to Republicans.
All told, New Trier employees have given $49,287 to federal campaign committees since Oct. 1999, according to the Federal Election Commission -- 97.5 percent ($48,037) to Democrats and 2.5 percent ($1,250) to Republicans.
The largest givers: now-retired history teacher Larry Grote ($29,900), school psychologist Dianne Stone ($4,250), and District Superintendent Linda Yonke ($3,200), all gave to Democrats.
Yonke is under fire for orchestrating a mandatory all-school seminar to teach New Trier students that they should have “white guilt.” It is led by speakers who advocate leftist policies, including moving to a socialist system and slavery reparations.
Parents critical of Yonke have asked her to politically balance the seminar, but she has refused.
Her political donations all went to the campaign committees of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
Grote, who retired in 2012, was lauded by Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, a New Trier graduate, for instilling in him a “love of history.”
As Emanuel’s teacher and soccer coach, Grote was also interviewed by author Naftali Bendavid for his book, The Thumpin’: How Rahm Emanuel and the Democrats Learned to Be Ruthless and Ended the Republican Revolution.
“He wasn’t one of our top players,” Grote said. “So when he got in, he took advantage of it by playing as aggressively as possible.”
Other donors include school finance director Chris Johnson and Jay Rosenberg, an English teacher and formerly the New Trier Teacher’s Union President whose school salary is $141,280/$169,536 annualized).
Total Political Giving by New Trier H.S. Employees to Democrats
| Amount | Organization |
| $11,350 | Democratic National Committee (DNC) |
| $10,350 | Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) |
| $8,950 | Obama for America |
| $8,475 | Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committees (DSCC) |
| $2,250 | John Kerry for President |
| $2,100 | John Justin Pavich for U.S. Congress (11th - Illinois) |
| $1,679 | Hillary Clinton for America |
| $500 | Lee Goodman for U.S. Congress (10th - Illinois) |
| $450 | Dan Seals for U.S.Congress |
| $404 | Hillary (Clinton) Victory Fund |
| $250 | Hopefund, Inc. (Barack Obama) |
| $250 | Bill Bradley for President |
| $250 | Paul Bryar for U.S. Congress (5th - Illinois) |
| $200 | Al Franken for U.S. Senate (Minnesota) |
| $200 | Jean A. Carnahan Political Action Committee (Missouri) |
| $200 | March for Progress, Inc. (U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy D-MA) |
| Amount | Organization |
| $1,000 | David Young for Iowa (U.S. Congress) |
| $250 | Bob Dold for Congress (10th - Illinois) |
| Employee | Position | Amount |
| Larry Grote | Teacher | $29,900 |
| Dianne S. Stone | Psychologist | $4,250 |
| Linda Yonke | Superintendent | $3,200 |
| Susan Rodgers | Secretary | $2,100 |
| Donna Spencer | Teacher | $2,000 |
| James Foster | Software Specialist | $1,500 |
| Jay S. Rosenberg | Teacher | $1,450 |
| Chris Johnson | Administrator | $550 |
| Judith Gressel | Teacher | $500 |
| Margaret Stesko | Teacher | $432.50 |
| Alice Basoms | Librarian | $355 |
| Ariell Bachman | Teacher | $250 |
| Jim Hutten | Teacher | $250 |
| Kurt Weiler | Teacher | $250 |
| Jean Wilson | School Nurse | $250 |
| Todd Bowen | Teacher | $200 |
| Parker J. Hall, IV | Teacher | $200 |
| Kathy Pilat | Teacher | $200 |
Individual New Trier H.S. Employee Giving to Republicans
| Employee | Position | Amount |
| Pater Tragos | Administrator | $1,000 |
| Theresa McNamara | Substitute Teacher | $250 |
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