Strong schools are the foundation of a strong District 96 — and securing their future is one of my highest priorities. As a consistent and proven advocate for public education funding, I know that what we invest in our classrooms today determines the opportunities our children have tomorrow. I'll continue fighting for adequate per-pupil funding that reflects the true cost of educating every child, modern school facilities that inspire learning rather than hinder it, and resources that empower our teachers to do their best work. But securing our schools' future means more than budgets — it means protecting public education from efforts to defund and destabilize it, ensuring our schools remain cornerstones of this community for generations to come. Our children deserve schools built for 21st-century learning, with robust support for students with special needs, expanded career and technical education pathways that open doors to real careers, and wraparound services that meet the whole child — academically, emotionally, and socially. When we secure our schools, we secure our future — and I will never stop fighting to do exactly that.