A Brookfield resident and former teacher at Congress Park School was the runaway winner in the race for four seats on the LaGrange-Brookfield Elementary School District 102 Board of Education.
Updated unofficial vote totals from the Cook County Clerk on April 10 showed that Molly Knott led the six-candidate field with 3,189 votes. The others elected were LaGrange residents Catherine Murphy (2,756), incumbent Tiziana Lambert (2,713) and Kathryn McQuiston (2,624).
Incumbent Bessie Boyd, a retired elementary school principal who has deep ties to the district as a longtime LaGrange resident and Congress Park School graduate, was defeated in her run for a second term, finishing 219 votes behind McQuiston with 2,405 votes as of April 10.
First-time candidate Therese O’Sullivan, who did not participate in an online public forum hosted by the League of Women Voters and did not fill out a candidate questionnaire for the Landmark, finished last with 1,289 votes.
Boyd, 68, the only Black member of the school board, said she was at peace with losing her bid for a second four-year term.
“My belief is that wherever God wants me to be is where I’m going to be,” Boyd said. “I did my four years and I believe I did a great service to the community, and when your time is up your time is up.”
Boyd said she intends to remain active in school district matters.
“I will continue to work in the community,” Boyd said. “I will continue to advocate for students and parents.”
Knott, who now teaches science at an elementary school in Berwyn, will be the third member of the District 102 school board from Brookfield, joining school board President Michael Melendez and board member Ed Campbell.
Knott taught for seven years at Congress Park School in Brookfield and two years at Cossitt School in LaGrange before taking a job in Berwyn Elementary School District 100.
During the campaign she said that she could bring a different perspective to the school board as a former teacher in the district as well as the mother of two children who went through District 102 schools.
Bob Skolnik contributed to this report.
