Find out more about Sari by watching clips from her interviews below with the 22 members of the 109 Caucus.

Sari Montgomery, an attorney focusing on legal ethics, has lived in Riverwoods for 16 years and has three children, all of whom attended 109 schools and DHS, where her youngest currently attends.

"I believe that educating our children is one of our most important responsibilities, both as parents and as a community,” she says, “and that taking an active part in that process is critical to maintaining and improving the high-quality education we enjoy in this district."

She is seeking re-election to the District 109 Board of Education because of her passion for education. She is also committed to helping the district continue to navigate through the critical challenges posed by the pandemic, as well as onboarding a new superintendent.

Bringing Multi-Faceted Experience to Key Issues

Currently serving as Board Secretary, Sari has accumulated substantial experience as a 109 Board member, and says she would continue to bring stability to the district during a time of constant change and transition.

She is a member of the Re-Entry Task Force and sits on the Policy and Executive Development Committees, the latter of which she chairs. As part of the Negotiations Committee, she has concluded two successful negotiations with the Deerfield Education Association (teacher’s union) in 2015 and 2019.

She chaired the Board’s Finance Committee from 2015–19, where she reviewed the five-year financial projections, the budget, the annual audit, and the tax levy. She describes the recommendation to abate the tax levy for debt service as one of her proudest accomplishments while on the Board. It saves taxpayers over $1.5 million each year. Under her leadership, the Finance Committee also recommended the reduction or elimination of fees for full-day kindergarten, transportation, outdoor education, and instrumental music. The Board adopted all of these recommendations.

Education and Professional Background

Sari earned a B.A. in public policy from the University of Chicago and her J.D. from Loyola University Chicago.

Her legal practice is focused on legal ethics and professional responsibility. She is a member of the American, Illinois State, and Chicago Bar associations, and is on the Board of the Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers. She has served as chair of the Illinois State Bar Association’s Committee on Professional Conduct, which drafts ethics opinions on a wide variety of legal issues for the association’s 30,000 members. In addition, she has taught as an adjunct professor at Loyola University Chicago School of Law.

"Since 2013, I have been privileged to serve on the District 109 School Board and believe that the experience and stability I can provide will greatly benefit our community as we welcome at least two new board members, transition to a new superintendent, and continue to navigate the later stages of the pandemic," Sari says.

To learn more about Sari, please visit her website at Sari Montgomery | Because Experience Counts
and follow her on Facebook at SariForD109.