The District 97 Board of Education has begun the process of filling the board seat left open by Peter Trazyk’s death.
Traczyk was found dead Saturday, Feb. 7 in a Forest Preserve on North Avenue near First Avenue from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. With his D97 term set to expire, he was also in the midst of a campaign for the District 200 Oak Park and River Forest High School board. He was a heavy favorite in that race to gain one of three seats in contention in the April 7 election.
During a candidate forum held at Buzz Café on Feb. 11, D97 board president Bob Spatz, who is up for reelection, said that the board will stick to the precedent set in 2011, when board member Jennifer Reddy resigned. The board voted unanimously to appoint Amy Felton to fill her seat.
It’s not yet known whether or not the board will consider appointing someone who is currently in the race to replace Traczyk.
“We anticipate filling [the vacant seat] at our regularly scheduled March 17 meeting,” said Spatz. “And then that appointment will last from roughly March 17 through no longer than May 5 —about 50 days.”
On Feb. 12, D97 board officials posted applicant questionnaires, in addition to background information on the board’s appointment process, on its website.
According to section 2.70 of the board policy manual, in the event of a vacancy, members of the board who remain are to notify the Intermediate Service Center of the vacancy within five days of it occurring “and shall fill the vacancy until the next regular board election,” when a successor is elected to serve a new term.
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“However, if the vacancy occurs with less than 868 days remaining in the term, the person so appointed shall serve the remainder of the unexpired term, and no election to fill the vacancy shall be held. Members appointed by the remaining members of the board to fill vacancies shall meet any residential requirements as specified in the school code. The board shall fill the vacancy within 45 days after it occurred by a public vote at a meeting of the board,” according to the board policy. |
According to section 2.40 of the board policy, eligible members must be United States citizens, at least 18 years old, residents of Illinois and District 97 for at least one year immediately before the election and a registered voter – “on the date of election or appointment.”
“Immediately following a vacancy on the board, the board will publicize it and accept résumés from district residents who are interested in filling the vacancy,” section 2.70 states. “After reviewing the applications, the board may invite the prospective candidates for personal interviews to be conducted during duly scheduled closed meetings.”