Four newcomers elected to DeKalb school board

DeKALB – Voters elected four newcomers to the DeKalb School District 428 Board, including three to serve full terms, according to unofficial election results reported Tuesday night.

State Appellate Prosecutor Nicholas Atwood was the top vote-getter in a crowded race, nabbing 2,134 votes over almost a dozen challengers. Jose Jaques, a retired DeKalb police officer who also served as a District 428’s school resource officer and has worked as a substitute teacher, also earned a seat with 1,846 votes if unofficial results hold. And Kristin Bailey, a communications professional for an agriculture machinery manufacturer who holds bachelor’s and doctorate degrees in English, won the third seat with 1,740 votes.

In a statement, Atwood said his election means a lot to him.

“I am very appreciative of the opportunity the voters in D-428 have given me to have a positive impact on our children’s education,” Atwood said. “I am excited to start working with other board members, and I’m looking forward to fulfilling my campaign promise to visit all of the schools in D-428 and meet with teachers and administrators to enhance my understanding of the individual needs of our schools, students, teachers and administrators.”

Atwood said he wouldn’t change anything about his campaign, which promised to prioritize teacher and classroom support, focus on growing the district’s property tax base and working toward expanded public transparency.

“Overall, I’m really proud of the way I campaigned,” Atwood said. “I focused on the issues that are actually impacting our schools, I listened to what the community was telling me, and I stuck to my plan for how I could address those issues. I believe that resonated with voters.”

Jaques said he’s excited to get to work.

Jaques’s campaign pushed plans to improve district security and safety in schools, maintain fiscal responsibility, and decrease classroom sizes to support teachers and student learning.

“I’m very honored to have been selected by the community to represent them on the school board,” Jaques said. “I’m looking forward to working with the other members, the ... [three] other newly elected and the three returning members.”

Jaques said he believes the issues that he campaigned on resonated with voters.

“I think fiscal responsibility was pretty huge,” he said. “I feel that when the district spends money, that they need to be spending money in the right places for the right reasons, understanding that it’s the community’s money. The district doesn’t have the right to any of it. They’re given the privilege to spend the money that the community gives them on the students of the district.”

When reached, Bailey declined to comment, saying that she would not have something prepared by press time. Bailey’s campaign in part focused on advocating for academic achievement through strengthening community resources, and said she’d prioritize alleviating school violence and increasing teacher support both administratively and in the classroom.

The three elected to the board will serve four-year terms. That in addition to a fourth newcomer has the potential to reshape the seven-member body. Resident Mark Charvat ran unopposed as a write-in candidate for a two-year unexpired term.

Voters should remember that results aren’t certified for two weeks. Mail-in ballots postmarked by Tuesday also will need to be counted before election results are finalized.

Ten newcomers – Atwood, Bailey, Brandon Elion, Erin Grych, Jaques, James Mitchell, Marilyn Parker, Derek Shaw, Twangie Smith, Howard Solomon – competed for three open seats.

Board President Deyci Ramirez, board Secretary Ariel Owens, and board members Amanda Harness and Fred Davis chose not to seek reelection.

With all 33 precincts reporting, according to the DeKalb County Clerk and Recorder’s Office, unofficial results are as follows:

• Atwood: 2,134 votes (wins seat)
• Jaques: 1,846 votes (wins seat)
• Bailey: 1,740 votes (wins seat)
• Parker: 1,460 votes
• Grych: 1,255 votes
• Elion: 1,170 votes
• Solomon: 897 votes
• Mitchell: 792 votes
• Shaw: 685 votes
• Smith: 483 votes

A total of 529 votes were cast for the write-in board seat. Write-in race results won’t be known, since the ballots need to be hand-counted, according to the clerk’s office. Results are expected within five days of the election.

This story was updated at 9:10 p.m. and 11:26 p.m. April 1, 2025, and at 5:08 p.m. April 2, 2025.