Ex-Huntley school board member gave no reason for sudden resignation

Former Huntley Community School District 158 board President Andy Bittman didn’t give a reason for his resignation when he abruptly departed from the school board over the holidays.

Bittman’s resignation letter, e-mailed to school board secretary Melissa Maiorino at 11:24 a.m. Dec. 30 said only: “Per policy 2:70, please take this email as notice of my resignation from the Huntley 158 board of education effective today.”

Superintendent Jessica Lombard was copied on the email, which was released through a Freedom of Information Act request.

The policy Bittman cited in his email mentions one of the ways a school board vacancy occurs is when a board member files a written resignation with the school board secretary.

Bittman has not responded to requests for comment.

He was first elected to the board in 2023 alongside a slate of candidates who emphasized lower taxes and getting what they felt were political agendas out of the classroom. Some members of the slate, including Bittman, had opposed COVID-19 rules such as school mask mandates.

When members of Bittman’s slate took control of the board that year, they chose him to be school board president. Laura Murray became vice president but Bittman and Murray lost their leadership spots after a different slate, backed by a group that opposed the direction Bittman’s slate took the board in, took control of the board last year. Paul Troy then became president.

Bittman’s departure leaves Murray as the only member of the slate elected in 2023 left on the school board.

During Bittman’s time on the school board, it waded into many controversies, including whether to accept a state library grant tied to Illinois anti-book ban law and the Biden administration’s Title IX rule changes. More recently, Bittman publicly claimed another school board member had “committed a felony.”

The dispute came up after newly elected board member Rich Bobby voted on bills that included payments to Little City, the Palatine-based nonprofit that serves people with disabilities and has done work in the district. Bobby is CEO of Little City.

The board now votes on Little City payments separately so Bobby can abstain.

Bittman had called on Bobby to resign, which Bobby has declined. District officials said they consulted with the district’s attorney, who advised the situation didn’t constitute a material conflict of interest.

The board has held one meeting since Bittman’s resignation, at which Troy addressed his former colleague’s departure.

Troy said board members don’t have to see eye to eye to have good conversations and make progress as a board. He said he appreciated Bittman’s work during his tenure on the school board and the disagreements don’t negate Bittman’s dedication.

The district accepted applications for Bittman’s replacement through Jan. 23. A special board meeting will be held at 5 p.m. Monday, Feb. 2, to interview applicants in a closed-door session.

Bittman’s seat will be up in the 2027 school board election.