Grayslake D46 board member wants colleague's power reduced
Grayslake Elementary District 46 board members plan to debate whether a colleague should continue representing the school system on other groups following a Lake County prosecutor's finding that she broke state law as a deputy voter registrar.
The board scheduled a Jan. 18 meeting to discuss whether board member Susan Facklam should continue to act as District 46's representative on a statewide elected school officials lobbying group and a Lake County special education organization.
Board member Kip Evans raised the issue during a meeting Wednesday night when he said the prosecutor's finding should warrant removing her from those groups. Facklam didn't respond to Evans' complaints.
“The publicity and the things that have been going on have to stop,” Evans said. “I'd like to see these positions that she holds given to other board members here to represent us.”
In August, Lake County Deputy State's Attorney Daniel Jasica wrote a letter to Facklam with his finding she committed a felony violation of Illinois election code by registering two people to vote and giving them $5 restaurant gift certificates.
Although the opinion was issued in August, it didn't become public until two months later when Jasica confirmed for the Daily Herald the contents of the letter he wrote to Facklam.
Jasica said “prosecutorial discretion” and lack of a “broader pattern of illegal payments” combined in the decision to not pursue a criminal case against her. His finding capped a probe that began in April 2011.
Facklam issued a statement disputing Jasica's finding, saying the gift cards she provided to a family friend and someone else were not in exchange for anything.
She retained her District 46 board post in the hotly contested April 2011 election, with newcomers Shannon Smigielski and Evans winning the other two seats. Former board President Mary Garcia and Marchell Norris fell short.
Facklam is an appointed member of Special Education District of Lake County's board. She also is serving a two-year term as a director at large for the Illinois Association of School Boards' Lake Division executive committee.
District 46 board members in November issued a public reprimand of Facklam, known as a censure, as a result of Jasica's opinion.
Saying she's a three-term board member committed to children's education, Facklam declared in her statement she won't resign from District 46's board, something Smigielski demanded at the November meeting. Evans said Facklam's resignation is not his goal.
“I want her stripped of the power,” he said.