Waukegan board elects Michael Rodriguez president; Caroline Fabian named vice president, superintendent confirmed as secretary

Michael Rodriguez was elected president of the Waukegan Community Unit School District 60 Board of Education during the board’s April 29 reorganizational meeting and was sworn in along with newly seated members.

The vote followed nominations and a roll-call ballot. The board’s recorded roll-call on the question to elect Rodriguez as president showed four yes votes (Carolina Fabian, Ronnell Ramirez, Brandon Riddle and Michael Rodriguez) and three no votes (Anita Hannah, Lensing and McBride). After the board certified the election abstract earlier in the meeting, Rodriguez took the oath and addressed the room: “Thank you very much. First of all, I'd like to thank everyone in the community that voted for me. Thank you for your confidence in me and thank you for my fellow board members for electing me president of the board of education. During the time that I was on the Board of Education, I served for 12 years. I was president for 8 years,” Rodriguez said.

Carolina (Carolina/Caroline) Fabian was elected vice president in a separate roll-call. The board then nominated and confirmed the superintendent, Miss Teresa Placentia, to serve as board secretary; that confirmation passed on a roll call with all members voting in favor.

Why it matters: Board officers set meeting agendas and preside over board procedures for the next year, shaping how the district prioritizes goals, hearings and oversight. New leadership will preside as the board begins a two-year meeting calendar and next year’s budget workshops.

What else happened: The meeting began with the administration administering oaths of office to newly seated board members and a reading of the board oath that references the U.S. and Illinois constitutions. Outgoing board president Brandon Ewing and outgoing member Adrianna Gonzales were recognized later in the meeting; the superintendent presented plaques in appreciation of their service.

Context and next steps: The newly elected officers immediately assumed their duties for the rest of the meeting; President Rodriguez conducted subsequent business including the vice presidential and secretary votes. The board also proceeded to debate and ultimately adopt changes to the regular meeting calendar that will govern meetings through April 2027.

No formal legal challenge or appeal was announced at the meeting.