Four newly elected members of the seven-person school board at Forest Park’s District 91 elementary schools were sworn in on May 8. The four members include incumbents Steven Rummel and John Lyons, as well as newcomers Andrea Marello and Jed Brewer. Unusually, both Lyons and Brewer won the election as official write-in candidates. 

Candidates for the April 1 school board election gathered nominating petition signatures that were due to the Cook County Clerk’s Office or the County Board of Election Commissioners between Nov. 12 and Nov. 18, 2024. 

According to Nurys Uceta-Ramos, director of engagement for D91, not enough candidates were running to fill four open seats as of January 2025. 

“Once we, as a district, saw that we did not have enough official candidates running and that there would still be two vacancies, we really pushed the deadline for official write-ins,” Uceta-Ramos said. 

The last day to file a declaration of intention as a write-in candidate with the county government was Jan. 20, 2025. 

“We put it out there to everyone in the community and Mr. Lyons and Mr. Brewer both happened to follow through and submit their official write-in candidacy,” Uceta-Ramos said. 

According to the Illinois State Board of Election’s 2025 Candidate’s Guide, a write-in candidate must receive a minimum number of votes equal to or greater than the number of signatures required on a nominating petition for that office if the number of candidates whose names appear on the consolidated primary ballot is less than the number of persons the party is entitled to nominate or elect to that office at the consolidated primary election.

Given that there was nobody else on the ballot challenging the two write-ins, Uceta-Ramos said Lyons and Brewer were both able to secure positions on the board. 

Uceta-Ramos said the two vacancies on the ballot may have been a result of the community’s satisfaction with the current state of District 91. 

“We are blessed to be in a situation where people really like the direction of the district and where things are at right now,” she said. “That can sometimes result in folks not being super interested in being a part of leadership or taking on certain roles because they think things are working so well.” 

Although Lyons was reaching the end of a four-year term as a school board member, he decided to run as a write-in candidate once the need arose. 

“Mr. Lyons decided that he could go for another round,” Uceta-Ramos said. “I think he’s made a lot of good contributions during his time on the board so we’re definitely happy to see him continue on with this position.”

The second write-in candidate, Jed Brewer, has been a Forest Park resident since 2007. Brewer, who does not have children of his own, leads a non-profit organization called Good Loud Media. 

“It’s really exciting to be able to include a perspective of a community member with no children in the district,” Uceta-Ramos said. “It will bring a different level of conversation and insight into the decision making.” 

Brewer said some of his neighbors, who thought he could provide a valuable perspective as a school board member, encouraged him to run as a write-in candidate once it became evident that there would be two vacancies on the ballot. 

“My sense was that they needed someone on the school board who doesn’t have kids in the district but still really cares about the schools and the community,” he said. “I’m a believer in the importance of service. I think when your community needs something and you are able to serve in that capacity, it’s important to give it real consideration. I’m also a believer that if you’re going to do something you need to do it well.” 

Although he’s still learning everything he can about District 91, Brewer said one thing he plans to focus on as a board member is community engagement. 

“It’s something that I am passionate about. I think any community does better when as many people as possible are engaged in the community and know what’s going on. It’s important that people are invested not just financially but also emotionally,” Brewer said. “I want to be a part of bridging that gap.”