Re-elect Ken Williams Jr. · District 159 School Board
Stronger connections. Richer schools.
When our schools connect with the institutions, businesses, libraries, villages, and non-profit organizations around us, everyone wins—students get more opportunities, teachers get paid-for training, and taxpayers get more from every dollar.
Election day: April 6, 2027
Signature goal for next term
Every kid in at least one.
When a child has a jersey to wear, an instrument to play, or a project to build after school, morning attendance rises, classrooms focus, and kids discover what they're good at before high school, not after.
- SportsVolleyball, tennis, track, basketball; competing at home and learning to win and grow as a team.
- ClubsRobotics, chess, coding, student council; finding peers who care about the same ideas you do.
- ArtsBand, choir, theater, visual art, dance; a stage, a canvas, and a creative voice in every building.
- ProgramsMedia production, STEM and literacy camps, mentoring; hands-on skills with community pros after 3 p.m.
Count every kid, at every school.
Track and publish participation across all five schools so families and the board can see who’s in, who’s left out, and which buildings need more options.
Partner so it doesn’t fall on staff alone.
Bring in villages, libraries, universities, businesses, and nonprofits for coaches, space, and shared funding; adding programs without burning out teachers or stretching taxpayers.
Clear the barriers for working families.
Equipment costs, rides home, and late communication shouldn’t decide which kids get to play, build, or perform.
Our 2025–2030 Strategic Plan promises to “expand and diversify extracurricular offerings across all schools.” A promise needs a target. Mine is 100%: we need holistic options for our students to choose from in order to get there. Let's have that conversation!
Where we start: Putting a school-by-school participation count on the board's public agenda—so every parent and neighbor can watch that number climb each semester.
How we get there
Schools aren't islands.
Our schools belong to the communities we serve. Collaboration with the resources in proximity is how we get the most out of our tax dollars.
- Local UniversitiesPaid-for training and credentials for our teachers
- Public LibrariesLibrary card sign-up at school registration
- Youth SportsOffer more variety of sports at younger ages
- CommunityExplore cross-funding opportunities with our villages
About Ken
I don't just tell kids what's possible. I help build the pathways.
Since 2023, I've served on the District 159 Board of Education with one belief: when you connect a community's talents to its schools, every child gets a bigger future. Whether I'm coaching 4-to-6-year-old basketball and baseball, building platforms to keep my own neighborhood connected, or working alongside our five schools, I show up to leave our community stronger than I found it.
For 15 years, I've worked in IT consulting, helping organizations navigate change, solve complex problems, and turn big ideas into practical results. I've also spent years producing media through various mediums. I bring both skills to the board: the discipline to make thoughtful decisions and the storytelling to listen, connect, and bring our community along.
Outside the boardroom, I put that same experience directly into young people's hands—serving on the board of Mentoring Youth Through Technology (MYTT) to expand STEM access, and co-creating a university media bootcamp where middle and high school students run the cameras, audio, and editing all the way to a community premiere.
- District AlumI grew up in the district and know firsthand what these schools can mean to a child.
- Dad of 3My three children attend District 159 schools. I am invested in their future every day.
- Long-time residentI have built my life here and serve the neighbors, families, and schools that make this community home.
- CoachI coach youth basketball and baseball, helping young people build confidence on and off the field.
Keeping the Main Thing the Main Thing
Vote for Ken Williams Jr. for the District 159 Board of Education on April 6, 2027. Then tell one neighbor why.
Check your registration and polling place with the Cook County Clerk (opens in a new tab)