A1 financial reports have revealed a staggering influx of campaign funding to Chan Ding totaling over $70,000 from unions representing educators and staff across Illinois—including the very organizations that represent employees within Barrington D220.
In a recent concession post on her social page, Board Member Chan Ding stated: “for now, I’m honored to continue serving in my elected role” serving as a Board of Ed Member. As a trained journalism professional, Chan Ding understands that words are tools of precision. The phrase "for now" is a calculated telegraph—a signal to her over $70,000 in outside donors that she is treating her current seat as a temporary landing spot. It suggests that this traditionally non-partisan board position is being used as a strategic placeholder for a future partisan run.
School board service is designed to be a local, non-partisan commitment to our children. However, by accepting nearly three-quarters of a hundred thousand dollars from state-level political organizations, the line between "local volunteer" and "partisan candidate" has been erased. This isn't just a campaign fund; it is a partisan war chest.
We are now entering a critical period. As a declared partisan School Board Member who is beholden to union interests & remains on the Board "for now," every vote she casts must be scrutinized:
- Objectivity: Can she vote neutrally on District contracts and labor issues when her political future is heavily funded by those same interests?
- Focus: Is her priority the long-term success of Barrington 220, or is she casting votes to build a record for her next partisan campaign?
Our District cannot afford a Board member who treats our schools as a rehearsal for higher office. We need leadership that is "all in" for Barrington—not "for now."
We reiterate our call for an immediate resignation to ensure our Board remains focused solely on the success of our students and the stewardship of our community’s tax dollars.
If you agree, tell the Members of the Board of Education, Superintendent Winkleman, and Regional Superintendent Karner. Their emails are:
Superintendents
cwinkelman@barrington220.org
mkarner@lake.k12.il.us
D220 Board of Education
stwang@barrington220.org, dclopton@barrington220.org, baltshuler@barrington220.org, sbradford@barrington220.org, lcollisterlazzari@barrington220.org, echanding@barrington220.org, hsrivastava@barrington220.org
Template of possible correspondence to the Board and Superintendents:
We are writing to formally alert the Board to significant financial disclosures that create an immediate and untenable conflict of interest for Board Member Erin Chan Ding. As of the March 17 election cycle, A1 financial reports reveal that Member Chan Ding accepted over $70,000 in combined contributions from Illinois Political Action Committee for Education (IPACE ), SEIU Illinois State Council PAC Fund, the Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT) COPE, Lake County Federation of Teachers 504 COPE, and Illinois AFL-CIO Committee of Political Education.
This level of funding from school educators and staff, including organizations that directly represent staff within our District—and with whom this Board must negotiate—presents a direct challenge to the non-partisan integrity of District 220.
Under Board Policy 2:100 (Board Member Conflict of Interest), members are required to avoid any interest that "prevents or tends to prevent the public official from giving to the public that impartial and faithful service" which the community is entitled to receive.
Accepting over $70,000 from state-level labor interests signals that Member Chan Ding’s primary accountability is no longer to the Barrington 220 taxpayers and students, but to outside political organizations.
Following her election loss, Member Chan Ding publicly stated she is honored to continue serving "for now." As a journalism professional, she is acutely aware that this qualifier telegraphs a temporary commitment.
This language suggests that she is viewing her remaining tenure not as a service to the community, but as a strategic "holding pattern" for a future partisan run. This is a significant departure from the mission of the Board and mirrors the findings of the November 2025 ethics investigation, which already established a pattern of using District resources for prohibited political activity.
The Board is currently entering a critical period involving votes on personnel reports, custodial contracts, and transportation bids. We believe Member Chan Ding cannot cast an objective vote on these matters while remaining beholden to the interests that funded her partisan "war chest."
We therefore request that the Board:
- Initiate a Formal Inquiry into whether the receipt of over $70,000, including from District-affiliated unions, constitutes a violation of the fiduciary duty to act in the best interest of the public.
- Request Voluntary Recusal from Member Chan Ding on all votes involving labor contracts or financial expenditures during this "lame duck" period.
- Accept an Immediate Resignation to restore the non-partisan trust essential to the governance of District 220.
The community deserves a Board that is focused 100% on our schools—not "for now," but for the long-term success of our District.