Board elects Juan Cifuentes president; oath administered to newly elected members, outgoing trustees honored

The East Aurora School District 131 Board of Education elected Juan Cifuentes as board president and administered the oath of office to newly elected members Annette Johnson, Myra Reyes and Vania Valencia during its May 5 meeting at the School Service Center.

The action followed public comments and a superintendent’s recognition of two outgoing trustees, Bruce Schubert and Theodia Gillespie, who were honored for their years of service. Board members then completed officer elections and assigned committee memberships before adjourning.

The board’s president pro tem opened nominations for president and called for roll-call votes. Juan Cifuentes nominated himself and won the office after a recorded roll call. The roll call recorded yes votes from Vania Valencia, Juan Cifuentes, Saul Olivas and Myra Reyes and recorded no votes from Annette Johnson, Lachey and Moreno. After the vote, the pro tem handed the gavel to the newly elected president.

The meeting included a formal oath of office for members elected April 1, 2025. The oath, administered publicly, referenced service “in accordance with the Constitution of The United States, the Constitution of the State of Illinois, and the laws of the State of Illinois.” Each sworn member repeated the affirmation on the public record.

Before officer elections, several public commenters spoke in support of retaining Annette Johnson as board president. Becky Rairo, who identified herself as an 18-year community member and president of EA Council Local 604, said, “Retaining Annette Johnson as board president offers the stability and experience that we all need.” Pastor Dan Haas and former student Alex Bridal offered remarks thanking outgoing trustees and praising Johnson’s community connections.

Superintendent remarks included formal recognition of Theodia Gillespie and Bruce Schubert. The superintendent noted Gillespie’s community leadership and cited her decades of community work; he credited Schubert with his role as chair of the buildings-and-grounds committee and service on facilities issues. Board members spoke in turn thanking both trustees for their service; no formal vote was required for the recognitions.

After the election of president, the board elected Saul Olivas as vice president and John Lachey as secretary through the same nomination-and-roll-call procedure. The meeting concluded with committee assignments and schedule readoption for the current year.

The board said the next regular meeting is scheduled for Monday, May 19 at 6 p.m. at the School Service Center.

Details of the roll-call tallies and nomination process were recorded on the public meeting record.