Veteran Stevenson High board member Roberts resigns after 37 years
The longest-serving board member in Stevenson High School District 125 history has resigned, officials announced Thursday.
Merv Roberts had been on the Lincolnshire-based board for 37 of its 53 years. He resigned because his declining eyesight affected his ability to be a trustee.
Roberts' resignation was delivered via email Thursday and was effective immediately.
In the email, Roberts called his time on the board "a journey of leading and learning."
"Other than family, it has been the longest, continuous relationship I have had," said Roberts, 78, of Lincolnshire.
Roberts joined the board in 1981 and was its president from 1984 to 2000.
As president, Roberts guided the school board through incredible growth at Stevenson. Enrollment grew from about 1,600 students to more than 3,700 students during those 16 years. Nearly 4,200 students attended Stevenson during the 2017-18 term.
The school building has undergone several multimillion-dollar additions to accommodate that growth, including a current three-story expansion of the East Building.
Stevenson also has received four Blue Ribbon Awards for Educational Excellence from the U.S. Department of Education during Roberts' time on the board, and Stevenson has consistently been ranked among the top high schools in the country by several news publications, among other honors.
District 125 officials on Thursday credited Roberts for helping to orchestrate those successes.
"Of all the people who have served on our school board, no one has made more contributions leading to the success we've enjoyed than Merv," board President Steven Frost said in a statement on the district's website. "We owe him a debt that we will never be able to repay, and we will miss his contributions greatly."
Superintendent Eric Twadell said he's met few people who could match Roberts' analytical skills "or his interest in building leaders within the school, including students."
Roberts last was elected in 2015, and his term would have expired in spring 2019.
Roberts is the second Stevenson High board member to resign in the last month. In early May, Bruce Lubin stepped down after more than 15 years on the panel.
District 125 residents who applied to replace Lubin will be considered for this latest vacancy. Any other interested residents must apply by 4 p.m. Tuesday, June 12.
Applicants should send letters and resumes to administrative assistant Carol Adamczyk via email at cadamczyk@d125.org or by U.S. mail at Stevenson High School, 2 Stevenson Drive, Lincolnshire, Illinois, 60069.
Applicants must be U.S. citizens, at least 18 years old, registered voters and District 125 residents for at least one year.
For more information, call Twadell at (847) 415-4101.