BANNOCKBURN – Jake Leahy believes he's the youngest person in Illinois currently serving in an elected position – and he very well could be. Leahy, who turned 18 in March, was sworn onto Bannockburn School District 106 Board of Education Tuesday night.
Leahy will graduate this May from Deerfield High School and plans to attend the University of Illinois next year, where he will study public policy and law. Leahy is active in the national "Turning Point USA" organization and writes for Hypeline, the group's news outlet.
Leahy says his election in April sends a message far beyond the district where he attended school during his elementary school years.
"This sends a message that young people should have a seat at the table to determine their own future," Leahy said in a statement. "Voters agreed … Springfield has been ignoring the will of the next generation for far too long, they cannot continue to recklessly borrow money on the back of my generation."
Before Leahy, former Congressman Aaron Schock was elected to the Peoria Board of Education in 2001, when he was 19 years old.
