By Corinne LestchThe Daily Northwestern
The first half of Jacob Novar’s senior year was relatively quiet, aside from his role volunteering at the local YMCA.
When it came time to choose a project for his senior studies class at Evanston Township High School, Novar decided to tackle a bigger challenge than most.
Novar, 18, is the youngest of seven candidates vying for three open spots on the District 202 school board, which represents only ETHS.
“I’ve been really interested in politics and policy and thought it was a good way to get started in that career,” he said.
Novar, who worked for two years at Hecky’s Barbecue, 1902 Green Bay Rd., discussed his options with owner Hecky Powell before running. Powell is a former president of the Evanston/Skokie School District 65 school board.
“I got a lot of encouragement from Hecky,” Novar said. “I talked with him a lot before I decided to run, and he thought it was a good idea.”
Former Ald. Evelyn Raden (4th) also urged Novar to run for a school board seat and said she welcomes the idea of a younger person serving on the board.
“He really has done a lot of research on issues, like the budget,” Raden said.
ETHS, like several other high schools in the northern suburbs, has a seat on its school board for a student representative who is not chosen by voters in regular elections. This student representative does not participate in closed sessions of the board and does not vote, however.
If Novar finishes in the top three in Tuesday’s election, he will have the opportunity to impact academic and financial policy for the school of more than 3,000 students.
Novar said he believes he’s up to the challenge, despite skepticism from some of his peers.
“They call it a grown-up job,” Novar said. “They don’t really know what the school board does and why it’s important for a student to be on it.”
Novar would attend Northeastern Illinois University on Chicago’s North Side, he said, and transfer to another local school once his term ends.
“I feel comfortable staying in the city,” Novar said, laughing. “I feel like my family wouldn’t bother me that much.”
One of Novar’s goals includes creating after-school and weekend tutoring services for all ETHS students. Novar said he would work with the administration to create alternate means of punishment besides suspension, and to address recent gang violence near the school.
Current school board member Rachel Hayman said she would be more than willing to work with Novar if he was elected.
Hayman, a mother of an ETHS sophomore and two graduates of the school, said she thinks a recent graduate would be more attuned to current students’ needs.
“I personally would have no trouble at all working with somebody who’s younger than the rest of us,” Hayman said. “He can certainly contribute a younger perspective.”
Raden said she doesn’t think Novar’s age will stop him from contributing fresh ideas.
“I think he will be a lot more in touch with the needs of the students than the present board,” Raden said.
Reach Corinne Lestch at [email protected].
