Nick Atwood running for DeKalb School District 428 Board

DeKALB – With four seats up for grabs, the makeup of the DeKalb School District 428 Board could look different after the April election, and Nick Atwood is among those hoping to make the case to voters as to why he would make a good candidate.

"I've always cared about education, and I believe strongly in public service," Atwood said. "I'm actually an attorney for the state government. I think it's important to participate in your community in different ways. I think serving on the school board is a way for me to use an experience and a background that I have to actually contribute in a meaningful way. So, I identified the board as an opportunity that I should pursue."

Atwood announced his intent to run at a recent ward meeting hosted by DeKalb 7th Ward Alderman John Walker.

Atwood said he believes the sum of his experiences and interests qualify him to serve on the school board, including his time working professionally with unions.

"I have an interest in education," Atwood said. "I have a background understanding in how teachers think and what their goals are in the classroom. I think that can help inform decisions from a board perspective."

During the ward meeting, he expressed his support for the 1% DeKalb County School Facility Tax that District 428 helped to put on the ballot for the Nov. 5 election.

The tax aims to help support schools countywide in paying for certain school facility purposes, including funding new school buildings, building renovations, land acquisitions, building demolitions, debt service on new debt issued for eligible school facility purposes, the retirement or abatement of bonds and interest tax levies, the paying of bonds previously issued for school facility purposes and more.

"I agree with the board's position to let the voters choose what to do on that," Atwood said. "I think it was a good decision for the board to vote to put that on the ballot because people here are the ones who have a say in whether or not they want to pay that extra 1% sales tax."

Atwood said he supports the district's decision to relocate the Beyond One Barb Transition Center from DeKalb High School to 530 Charter St., DeKalb.

It's one thing that's caused debate among the district's taxpayers and has prompted the transition program to face questions. It all comes on the heels of the district's decision to enter into a lease-purchase agreement on residential property to house the transition program.

"I think it's a good move to get a residential-type facility because, if I remember correctly when they were talking about this, they had one a long time ago," he said. "For the last 10 or 12 or more years, they've been in the high school, and that really isn't conducive transitioning them into the community if they're still in that same high school environment."

Atwood hopes to stand out from the pack when voters head to polls in the April election.

He said he believes good candidates should take a more direct approach to decision-making and will consider the consequences to district families.

"I also think what's missing in a lot of public service positions these days is people who don't have an agenda," he said. "I think I'm someone who's going to take a look at what we have, how much money we are spending – what are we getting for that money? How are we helping the teachers be successful? What will the effect be on the students, on the teachers, on the administrators, and also to the community at large?"