Meet Emerson Weed, Subdistrict 2 candidate for District 186 board of education

Editor's note: This is part of a series of articles previewing candidates vying in the April 4 consolidated election. Early voting is underway.

Emerson Weed spent 12 years at Lanphier High School as a permanent substitute teacher and then an attendant support coach before moving over to the Sangamon-Menard Regional Office of Education as a truancy case worker in October.

"I felt like I built some really strong community bonds, coaching hundreds of kids (in football and track and field) and working with their parents and the community. I still feel very connected," Weed said.

Running for the District 186 board of education seat in Subdistrict 2 "allows me the opportunity to maintain involvement with something that I feel like I put a lot of effort and a chunk of my life into," said Weed, a third generation Lion, graduating in 2005.

Weed said his goal in his current job with ROE is to help children in families which have experienced medical emergencies or are homeless get back in school by troubleshooting with the families.

"In doing so, we find ourselves helping out the families in the communities," Weed said.

Weed, who is making his first run for office, was working his after-school supervision position at Lanphier the afternoon Pierre V. Scott Jr., a Lanphier senior, was fatally stabbed outside of the school. Weed said he was on the scene "within seconds."

Weed's Subdistrict 2 opponent, incumbent Micah Miller, has said Weed's position with ROE could be a potential conflict of interest and that he may end up having to abstain from votes. Weed said while that might be true potentially, he didn't think it would have "a dramatic effect."

Weed's first run for office, he said, has been "eye-opening. There's a lot more to it, but overall, I'm enjoying it. I'm seeing people I haven't seen in a long time. Overall, it's been a fun experience."

Emerson Weed

Age: 35

Occupation: Truancy case worker for Sangamon-Menard Regional Office of Education #51

Family: Married Kristin; children, Wyatt, 4, and Loxley, 2

Political experience: First run at office

Education: Bachelor of science in recreation, parks and tourism administration, Western Illinois University

Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788, sspearie@sj-r.com, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Third generation Lanphier grad Emerson Weed running for school board