Jaci Durbin DeClue, candidate for Dupo 196 School Board

Name: Jaci Durbin DeClue

Political party (if applicable): N/A

Age as of April 6, 2021: 45

Campaign website or social media page: N/A

Office seeking: School Board Member

Are you an incumbent? Yes

Previous offices sought: District 196 School Board Member (2013-Present)

Occupation: Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Associate Athletics Director

Education: SIUE - 1997 graduate Bachelors of Liberal Studies, Ball State University 1999 graduate Masters of Arts in College Student Personnel

Please list the highlights of your civic involvement: Dupo District 196 School Board Member (2013 - present), Dupo/EC Lions Club Member (2020-Present), Girl Scout Leader (2014-2019), Bluffview Elementary PTO Member (2014-Present), Led fundraising initiatives for the Bluffview PTO, Dupo Class of 2027 and the Dupo HS Boys Basketball team

Why are you running? I am thankful for the education I received as a student in Dupo school system and feel it prepared me for a lifelong love of learning, community service, and leadership. During my eight years as a board member, our district has made many great strides. However, I feel strongly that we need to continue to focus on raising our academic performance standards, preparing our students for life after high school, and increasing parental and community involvement.

What is the top issue in your race, and how would you address it? As we enter the 2021-22 school year, our students and educators will be faced with additional challenges sparked from the impact of COVID/remote education on teaching, learning and mental health. Administrators, teachers, parents and school board members must work together to find solutions to improve and grow the educational and social experiences of our students. As a district, we need to increase parental involvement as a mode to increase student success. I will be a champion for this cause as a board member.

Why should people vote for you? During the last eight years as a board member, I have proven that I am dedicated to ensuring fiscal responsibility, increasing student achievement, expanding learning and extracurricular opportunities, and always doing what is best for our students. I believe our community knows they can reach out to me with any concerns and they trust I will share their concerns with the administration. I also was a proponent for allowing students the opportunity to return to in-person learning for the start of the 2020-21 school year. Since that time, I have continued to champion the initiative to get our students back in the classroom full-time.

This story was originally published February 24, 2021 at 2:52 PM.