I made this decision saddened, and frankly angered, at the outpouring of hatred and harassment towards myself and my supporters, including a minor, who received a threatening phone call. 

I know that the recent announcement by Scott Hall, another candidate for District 90 School Board, that he was suspending his campaign due to harassment and intimidation, triggered an emotional response. As I said in my previous statement regarding his campaign suspension, harassment and intimidation have absolutely no place in a free and fair democracy, nor in the electoral or campaign processes. However, harnessing those emotions to harass and intimidate another candidate is not the right action to take.

Unfortunately, I can sympathize even more with Scott, now that I have experienced the harassment and intimidation he mentioned in his announcement.

Sarah's statement on Scott Hall suspending his campaign
Thursday, March 24

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I was saddened to hear today that Scott Hall suspended his campaign for District 90 School Board. While Scott and I did enter the race for School Board with different goals in mind, it is disappointing that his campaign has ended early, and that his supporters will no longer be able to support their candidate.

In his campaign suspension announcement, Mr. Hall claimed “I, my family, my friends and even local businesses with which I associate have been repeatedly threatened, harassed and disparaged.” I want to be clear that threats, harassment, and disparagement have no place in a campaign, nor in a fair and free democracy.

While I don’t doubt Mr. Hall’s claims, I want to ensure that his parting words do not cast our campaign in a negative light, and I want to provide everyone in the community with a more full series of events. I am sharing a letter, and the subsequent correspondence, which was recently sent to the superintendent of District 90, Ed Condon, and the District 90 School Board:

 

From: Wanessa Vovola
Subject: Data Breach Concerns
Date: March 19, 2021 at 4:41:02 PM CDT

Good afternoon,

​Please see the attached letter regarding privacy and data breach concerns signed by several members of the community.

Kind regards,
Wanessa Vovola

​(Please click here to view the full letter sent to the District 90 School Board, and Superintendent Condon)

I remain committed to my goals of empathy, equity, and educational excellence, and I aim to continue to prove to the community that I am the right candidate for the District 90 school board. 

​As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please fill out the contact form on my website. I look forward to serving the community, and I promise to do my best, and make sure that, in every decision I make, the children of District 90 will benefit.

Upcoming event:

Sarah will be participating in a virtual Meet & Greet this Tuesday, March 23rd, from 8-9pm. Everyone is welcome to stop by to ask Sarah questions, chat, or just listen to what everybody else is talking about! To attend the event, click here on Tuesday at 8pm or enter the Zoom Meeting ID: 812 3040 6597.

Recent Endorsements

Below are some of the most recent endorsements for Sarah For D90. To view all endorsements, click here, or on the Endorsements tab in the menu bar.

Jane Meinhold
​Longtime resident, parent of three District 90 Alumni

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David Hill
Lifelong friend of Sarah Eckmann

Please vote for Sarah Eckmann for a position on the River Forest District 90 School Board.  I have known Sarah her whole life and can attest to her diligence and dedication as mother, wife, and nurse practitioner.  Having grown up in River Forest, she understands the benefits of this community and the high quality of our school system.  She will work to achieve even higher standards and better quality for our school district while ensuring fiscal responsibility to the community.

Empathy, equity, excellence. Sounds like it’s good for everyone... right? So why are these things so hard to achieve? 
My take is that we need bold, fearless leaders who can see past their own privilege, and be able to put themselves in the shoes of others. 
Having grown up in Oak Park it’s been hard seeing River Forest not seem like a place where all kids, regardless of race or socioeconomic status, can thrive. 
We need someone who will be the voice for the unheard. 
Someone who will not just fight for equality, but will do the work to ensure all decisions that are made are equitable. 
That person is my long time, dear friend, Sarah Eckmann. The River Forest community would be lucky to have her on their school board.

Fill out the form on the right or use the contact information below to:
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