Dist. 211 board to fill vacant seat next month

The Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 board will fill its vacant seat next month.

The death of Theresa Tracy on Sept. 3 left the vacancy, which will be discussed at Thursday night's board meeting. The board appointed Tracy to the seat in March 2009 after cancer took the life of board member and former Hoffman Estates village Trustee Susan Kenley-Rupnow in February 2009.

Tracy, of Schaumburg, was 44 when she died.

Board members will advertise the vacant board seat and accept applications until Sept. 27. They'll conduct interviews until Oct. 8 and appoint a new member at the Oct. 14 board meeting.

The new board member will fill the unexpired term that ends in April. That's when four board members' seats are up for election. Besides the open seat, the terms of George Brandt, Lynn Davis and Debra Strauss are up for election on April 5. Candidates can begin circulating nominating petitions on Sept. 21.

Tracy worked for the Illinois Student Assistant Commission after leaving a post at the University of Illinois Extension in August 2009. Before that she worked at the Chicago Tribune as a reporter specializing in education. She covered District 211 for the Tribune before taking the seat on the board.

The board members will also discuss a revision to the 2010 budget that the board will vote on at the Sept. 30 meeting.