Dist 203 names vice president; still seeking new board member
The school board in Naperville Unit District 203 has a new vice president after the former officeholder stepped down last month, but the choice didn't come with unanimous support.
The board elected longtime member Mike Jaensch on Monday during its first meeting following the May 20 resignation of former vice president Suzyn Price.
Board President Terry Fielden said Jaensch is the "most qualified at this stage" to fulfill the vice president's role. Board members Kristin Fitzgerald and Jackie Romberg said Jaensch has worked well to re-establish communication among members despite what several on the panel have described as "personality" issues.
Board member Donna Wandke was the dissenter in the 5-1 vote choosing Jaensch as vice president, saying she had "concerns" she discussed with Jaensch but wasn't ready to share publicly. She said she's giving Jaensch time to "course-correct" after hearing her feedback.
"I want to focus on not so much the personalities on the board but more so on the students," Wandke said. "I will move forward and work within the leadership structure that my colleagues have put in place."
Jaensch is an airline pilot and adjunct professor at Lewis University in Romeoville who first was elected to the school board in 2007.
As vice president, his role includes meeting with the board president and Superintendent Dan Bridges or other administrators to plan board meeting agendas and overseeing committee assignments among board members.
While the board has filled the leadership post vacated by Price, members still are working to fill her seat on the panel until the April election.
The board has received applications from 29 candidates. Members plan to conduct interviews June 15 and possibly June 16 in hopes of announcing their appointee during the next board meeting June 20.