Meet Supna Jain, Acting Secretary of the School Board, Indian Prairie School, IL

Ms. Jain talks to Hi India about why advocacy and involvement at local level matters

By Zofeen Maqsood

Late last month, Supna Chaudhuri Jain, announced her run for re-election to the Illinois District 204 School Board in April 2025. The Indian Prairie School District 204, in Illinois serves over 25,600 students from Will and DuPage counties. The vast school district covers about 33 schools in Naperville and Aurora and one in Bolingbrook.

While the school district has been variously known for its academics and extracurriculars, what also sets it apart is the diverse demography of the students in the district.

Long-time Naperville resident and mom of two kids attending the school district, Supna Jain decided to run to be on the board because she believes in order to bring positive changes in societal structures around us, it is best to get involved and work towards those changes.

Professionally, Jain is a Principal Lecturer in Communication and the Director of the Speaking Center at North Central College. An academician with a vast experience, Jain has earlier taught at Illinois State University and the College of DuPage. Jain teaches courses in public speaking, intercultural, interpersonal, and group communication. A trained Indian classical dancer, Jain also teaches Indian dance at Naperville Park District.

In between her teaching assignments and dance practices, Jain took out time to talk to Hi India Weekly about being a school board member and why advocacy and grass root activism are important tools to bring important changes.

On Why School Board Matters

Often many people do not explore options to get involved at the city, township or school levels thinking that it is a time-consuming role and may be fit for those vying for a bigger political role. However, Ms Jain, encourages people to get involved if they have the means and time to.

On what exactly it means to be a school board member, Jain says, “A school board is a set of seven individuals who work together for the governance of a public-school district. These board members have a set of responsibilities such as setting the school board vision and goals, evaluating the superintendents’ performance, advocating on behalf of students and the parents, managing the school resources and offering advice on their optimal usage in the best interest of the school and the state, overseeing district wide curriculum as well as establishing policies.”

Ms Jain also explains that the board members are elected during municipal elections by registered voters in the community.

What got her interested

Ms Jain’s keen interest in governance can be seen by the fact that she studied political science and communication from the University of Illinois in Urbana Champaign. She then went on to a Masters’ of Science in Communication from Illinois State University and pursued a law degree from DePaul University. On why despite her full professional schedule, she felt inclined to be a part of the school board, Jain says, “Since a very young age, I had been intrigued by governance. Growing up I wanted to understand the system(s) and how it works.” Perhaps that quest to understand all the social as well as legal aspects led Ms Jain to pursue a degree in law and work as a litigation consultant. In her own words she says, “I found my true calling in the classroom rather than courtroom!”

Why Getting involved is Important

As a Professor and a school board member Ms Jain says, “I want to empower students and make them believe that they can bring about important changes.”

Coming from an Indian heritage, Ms Jain agrees that the Indian American community is on an interesting cusp currently in the country. It may not be an exaggeration to say that the community is in many ways shaping the face of what immigration looks like in America by not only making great academic and financial strides but also getting involved in statesmanship like never before. So, during such eventful times what does Ms Jain have to say to the community on the importance of getting involved? “There is so much happening at the local, social and political level. One has to find what interests them and where they can be best useful.”

Giving an example from her own experiences, she says, “I have always been a political junkie. But I realized that I can either sit on the sofa and complain or stand up and work towards making a change. And that played a catalyst in my life and I decided to put my name in the running for the school board.”

She adds, “It is important to be engaged with how our system works. If we are beneficiaries of a system and are unhappy with the system, it is imperative to be a part of the solution. So, if one has the time, capacity and resources one should think of getting involved at local levels.”

On serving in the District 204 School board

Ms Jain says, “It has been the honor of my life to serve in this area. Every child has a right to proper education and this is the primary goal that determines all our policies.”

On how one goes about being a member, Ms Jain says, “To contest to be in the elected position of a school board member and to get your name on the ballot, you have to get signatures from residents in your district and then file your petition with the county commissioner.” She adds, “It goes without saying that you also have to be interested in public education, understand the community needs and be a true advocate.”

On the Diversity in Naperville

Ms Jain has been a Naperville resident for more than a decade. The city is known as much for its big-city amenities and small-town charm as it is for its diverse population. An increasing number of South Asians are making Naperville their home, owing to many factors including safety, great schools and libraries and diverse places of worship. On her experiences as a Naperville resident, Ms Jain shares, “I didn’t even realize how diverse Naperville was, until I moved here in October 2010. I saw holiday lights outside many homes and wondered if Christmas came early in the town! Only to realize they were beautiful Diwali lights. It was the first time I saw so many Diwali lights in an American neighborhood and I was so proud to be a part of it.”

On why Naperville continues to be popular amongst the Indian-American community, she says, “Most public schools in the area are ranked high. Many South Asians are willing to make sacrifices for good schools for their kids. Also, the city is an incredible place to raise families, it has a great park district, it has diverse businesses and is very family friendly and safe.”

Diversity at Naperville Schools

During her years as the school board member, Ms Jain has seen some challenging times such as the Covid-19 outbreak. She says, “Some of our most significant work was to keep students safe from Covid. We also try to be very efficient with our funds and work on strategic planning.”

On the South Asian diversity in school she says, “We have very active student South Asian organizations; we also have several student clubs such as Cricket and calming organizations. We are a leading district when it comes to work in Equity. Our district drafted the first Equity belief statement, which was adopted by the Illinois Association School Board. We also have an active Parent-Diversity Advisor Committee where parents highlight the cultural needs of district students. We do celebrate Diwali and Eid parties amongst other festivals. Food wise, while we are always conscious about healthy food we do have ethnic dishes like aloo choley sometimes!