Mardell Schumacher, one of longest-serving school board members in Northwest suburbs, steps down from District 59 seat
Mardell Schumacher, one of the longest-serving school board members in the Northwest suburbs, has stepped down.
Schumacher, first appointed to the Elk Grove Township Elementary District 59 school board in June 1988 and elected to consecutive four-year terms ever since, resigned effective Tuesday, citing personal reasons.
“It has been my great pleasure to have served for 35 years on the District 59 school board,” Schumacher, of Elk Grove Village, wrote in a letter to fellow board members and the superintendent. “I have always been dedicated to the success and wellness of the children in our district and I am proud of the work I have done to advance those goals. I have enjoyed visiting with teachers in the schools and have been happy to listen to the concerns of parents and working towards what is best for our students.”
Schumacher was valedictorian of her class at Carl Schurz High School in Chicago, earned a bachelor’s degree from Cornell College in 1954, and took master’s level classes at Northwestern and National Louis universities before beginning her own teaching career at District 72 in Skokie, where she taught for 13 years.
She and her husband moved to Elk Grove Village in 1960, and two of their children attended District 59 schools. After her children were grown, she worked as a unit manager for a merchandising company.
During her time on the board, Schumacher served as president, vice president and secretary, and she held positions on various committees. She won her most recent election by 13 votes in a crowded race in April 2021.
A year ago to the date of her resignation, she received the Illinois Association of School Boards’ Legacy Award.
Superintendent Terri Bresnahan said Schumacher’s absence in the district already has “been felt, and will continue to be felt.”
“It is very rare to come across a board member who has that level of history and knowledge and such enthusiasm and dedication for the work that she did,” Bresnahan said. “She truly is a historian of this district.”
Board President Joe Sagerer praised Schumacher for setting the example of “what a school board member does, and who they are.”
“I’ve had my disagreements with Mardell, but she knew how to state her case and explain what she was thinking, and yet do it in a way that was respectful,” Sagerer said. “We maintained a friendship, and I really grew to trust her guidance and really listen to her and appreciate what she did for the board.”
Sagerer said the board plans to request applications to fill the remainder of Schumacher’s term, which expires in April 2025. The six board members have 60 days to review candidates, conduct interviews, and make a selection.