Two New Trier Township High School District 203 board members, including Board President Jean Hahn, will not seek reelection in April 2027, opening the door for new voices to govern a district that serves 3,658 students across Winnetka, Wilmette, Kenilworth, Glencoe and Northfield.
The New Trier School Board Caucus announced it is accepting applications from community members interested in running for four board seats, The Record North Shore reported. The deadline to apply is Thursday, Sept. 24.
Three of the seats carry four-year terms. The fourth is a two-year term covering the remainder of former member Kimberly Alcantara's seat, which runs through 2029. Alcantara, a Wilmette resident, resigned earlier this year, and Brad McLane was appointed to fill her vacancy.
McLane will not run for the seat in April, according to the caucus. Board members Courtney McDonough and Sally Pofcher plan to seek reelection, also according to the caucus.
Hahn has served on the board since 2019 and is currently board president, according to Ballotpedia, and presided over the district's transition to Superintendent Peter Tragos, who took over July 1, 2025, after 27 years as a New Trier educator.
What the new board inherits
Whoever fills these seats will oversee one of the most closely watched public high schools in Illinois. In the 2021-22 school year, the district reported roughly $169 million in annual revenue, 77% from local property taxes, with per-pupil spending above $46,000. New Trier's 97% college enrollment rate and record AP participation (70% of the Class of 2025 took at least one AP course, the highest ever, per data presented at the board's Sept. 15, 2025, meeting) underscore the stakes.
The district's 2025-26 strategic plan includes a goal focused on access and opportunity to rigorous coursework for all students. For families of students with IEPs and 504 plans across the five feeder communities, board decisions on staffing ratios, inclusion programming and out-of-district placements carry direct consequences.
How to apply
The caucus posted the application link on its official Instagram page. Applicants can also reach the caucus at [email protected].
The caucus is a nonpartisan body formed in 1954. It is composed of 47 volunteer delegates from the six sender districts plus two New Trier students selected by the Student Council. Chairperson Jeffery Heftman leads the 2026 cycle alongside Vice-Chair Stephanie Gaffin and Secretary Debbie Papas.
After the Sept. 24 deadline, the caucus will hold interview meetings on Sept. 30, Oct. 7 and Oct. 14 at New Trier's Northfield campus, 7 Happ Road, Room C234, from 7 to 9 p.m. An endorsement vote is scheduled for Oct. 21.
The caucus is also recruiting delegates from Winnetka District 36 to help vet candidates this fall. Interested residents can contact Heftman at [email protected].
