Five apply for vacant Glen Ellyn District 41 seat
The Glen Ellyn Elementary District 41 school board will meet Friday morning to appoint a new member who will serve a term of just three months.
Five candidates applied to fill the seat left vacant by Willie DiFabio, who resigned unexpectedly earlier this month near the end of his own appointed term.
The five seeking the spot are Dave Davis, George F. LaForte Jr., William Schumacher, Liza Sury and Lori Taylor.
The remaining board members will vote on who will succeed DiFabio at a special meeting 7 a.m. Friday.
DiFabio stepped down because of conflict-of-interest concerns that officials said were raised "internally" over the holidays about his work as a substitute teacher in the district.
Illinois school board members can work as substitute teachers in the district where they took office but face restrictions.
At the time of his resignation on Jan. 9, board President Erica Nelson said DiFabio could not be paid more than $2,000. The concerns came up because DiFabio crossed that threshold, receiving about $3,200 so far this school year for his substitute teaching.
DiFabio pledged to return about $1,200 to the district, or what he made in excess of the amount allowed by Illinois School Code, Nelson said.
The board unanimously named DiFabio to a one-year appointment in June from a field of 19 applicants. He has worked as a substitute teacher in the district since 2009.
"As part of the interview process for appointment to the board, Mr. DiFabio included in his statement that he had been substitute teaching in the district," Nelson said. "Neither the board nor Mr. DiFabio was aware of any legal or practical limitations on such dual service."
DiFabio also has announced he would withdraw from one of the most hotly contested school board races in DuPage County in order to continue substitute teaching. He was the lone incumbent in a contest with nine other candidates running for four available 4-year seats in the April 4 election.
Candidates have until Thursday to formally drop out.
The applicant who secures the appointment will serve until new board members take their seats at a reorganization meeting May 6.
Three board members whose terms expire this spring - Drew Ellis, Joe Bochenski and Patrick Escalante - are not seeking re-election.
The other nine candidates who have filed to run in April are Marty Glover Boyd, Robert Bruno, Jeff Cooper, Bruce Currie, Al D'Ambrosio, Linda D'Ambrosio, Erin Dieter, Jason Loebach and Janet Wagner.