North Cook News

As first-time candidates go, Kristen Steel couldn’t have a clearer vision for what she wants to achieve in leadership.

“We need to be safe and we need to be reasonable but we need to get them back in school,” Steel, a candidate for the Schaumburg District 211school board, told the North Cook News of students in the area.

“We can’t be misled by the fearful minds,” she added. “All the data shows us that being in school in person full time is what sets them up for success.”

Steel said her candidacy in the April 6 election is also about taking a stand for the many stressed out and overburdened taxpayers.

“Why do we continue to squeeze blood out of our taxpayer turnip?” she added. “We got an almost 8% unemployment rate. Why are we doing that when we’re sitting on a reserve? There are a lot of different avenues that the board could take, but voting on taking the maximum tax levy again is not one I would be in support of.”

Now convinced that any inequities that may have existed within the system before now have only been exacerbated by the lingering impact of the COVID-9 crisis, Steele argues the need for the right kind of leaders has never been greater.

“It’s important to have people serving on the board that have children in the district or will soon have children in the district. We don’t have that,” she said.  

Steele previously told the Daily Herald, "I think that the gaps in equity as they relate to academics, social, emotional well-being, everything — just the kids interacting — has really grown greater by the pandemic, by being remote and isolated so much."