Santillan drops out of D204 Board race
By David Sharos For The Sun March 7, 2013 6:08PM
Updated: April 9, 2013 11:55AM
In a surprise move, candidate Jazmin Santillan, 56, who was among eight candidates running for School Board for District 204, announced her withdrawal from the election Thursday.
Santillan said she contacted Superintendent Kathryn Birkett Thursday afternoon via telephone to announce her decision, which she said she has been considering for a few days.
A statement was read Thursday at the Naperville Area Homeowners Confederation, at the Naperville Municipal Center, where a forum was scheduled for District 204 candidates.
The statement said that Santillan has “decided to step down for personal reasons.”
Santillan said that Birkett expressed regret regarding her decision to withdraw from the election.
“Dr. Birkett told me she was sorry to hear I was not moving forward but that she understood my reasons,” Santillan said.
Speaking at her last forum event Monday at Waubonsie Valley High School, Santillan said she had experience as a project manager and with process improvement work, along with being a CPA. She described herself as “being very good at change management,” skills she had hoped to bring to the board.
“It’s possible I might run again someday,” Santillan said Thursday. “Education is still something I am passionate about and we need to continue to work on reforms and build community support. I continue to be a supporter of those students in the lower tier that need to get more support in order to achieve.”
For more on Thursday night’s forum, visit www.napersun.com.
