U-46 board to interview 7 candidates to fill board vacancy
Seven candidates have applied so far to fill a vacancy on the Elgin Area School District U-46 school board stemming from board member Traci O'Neal Ellis' resignation last month.
Ellis, an Elgin attorney and executive director of human resources for Aurora-based Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, stepped down after serving seven years on the board to advocate for educational equity and criminal justice reform with a Washington, D.C.-based national think tank.
Wednesday is the deadline for applications to fill her seat.
Illinois School Code allows school districts 45 days from a trustee's resignation to fill a school board vacancy. The deadline for U-46 to appoint a candidate is June 7, board President Donna Smith said Monday.
The school board will review applications in closed session May 14 at South Elgin High School. The board then will interview all candidates one-on-one for 30 minutes each in public during special meetings May 17 and 18 before possibly appointing someone at either the May 21 or June 4 regular board meetings, officials said.
The last time the school board had to appoint a board member there were eight candidates to fill the seat vacated by Frank Napolitano in March of 2014. The board appointed Linda Campos-Moreira of Elgin to serve until the next election in April 2015.
Whoever is appointed to Ellis' seat will serve the remainder of her term expiring next April.