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Springfield SD 186 board declares election winners, seats members and elects officers; adopts policies and moves to closed session
Summary
At its May 5 organizational meeting, the Springfield School District 186 Board of Education declared April election results, administered oaths to newly elected members, elected board officers by roll call and adopted its board policies and code of conduct. The board then voted to adjourn into executive session citing Illinois open-meetings law.
The Springfield School District 186 Board of Education declared the results of the April 1 consolidated election, took oaths of office for newly elected members, elected board officers and adopted its current policies and code of conduct during its May 5 organizational meeting.
The Sangamon County Election Office reported the consolidated-election returns to the board. In Subdistrict 1, Kristen Barnett received 1,654 votes and was declared the winner; Anthony Mars received 1,001 votes. In Subdistrict 2, Micah Miller received 1,386 votes and was unopposed. In Subdistrict 6, Erica Austin received 1,046 votes and was unopposed. After the results were read, the board administered the oath of office to the newly seated members.
The organizational portion of the meeting included nominations and roll-call votes for board leadership. Erica Austin was nominated and elected board president by roll call (six yes votes, one recorded as "present"). Buffy Leil Wolf was elected vice president, Julie Hammers was elected secretary, Nikki Erlum was elected assistant secretary and Stephen Miller was appointed treasurer; those officer votes were recorded as unanimous (seven ayes).
At the start of her term as president, Erica Austin thanked fellow board members and community voters and asked for accountability from colleagues. "Please hold me accountable when necessary, and let us work together to strive for the excellence of District 186," Austin said after being declared president. Kristen Barnett, after being sworn in, also thanked supporters: "I couldn't have done it without you guys," she said.
The board adopted a resolution to re-adopt existing board policies, follow Robert's Rules of Order (revised) except where board policy or statute provides otherwise, institute rotating roll-call procedures and observe the board code of conduct; the motion passed on a 7-0 roll call.
The board then voted 7-0 to adjourn into executive session to discuss personnel matters, contract negotiations and pending or imminent litigation, citing 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(1), 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(2) and 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(11). The board announced members would reconvene in about an hour.
The organizational meeting was short on prolonged debate: most officer positions and procedural resolutions passed on roll-call votes shortly after nominations were opened. No substantive policy changes were proposed during the meeting; the board re-adopted its existing policies and code of conduct for the coming year.
Minutes and official records prepared by the district and the Sangamon County Election Office will have the formal vote tallies and the text of the adopted policy resolution.
