Mark Bloom has resigned from the Community Consolidated School District 15 Board of Education effective Friday, January 14, 2011.

Mr. Bloom announced his resignation in a letter he sent to the Board, and the Board held a special meeting on Wednesday, January 19, 2011, to determine how it will fill his seat.

Mr. Bloom, who served as Board Vice President, was elected in April 2009. He cited scheduling conflicts due to a new job he started in recent months as the reason for his resignation.

“Mr. Bloom was a thoughtful and reasoned Board member, always seeking to improve the schools for the children he was elected to care for,” commented Superintendent Scott Thompson. “Though he had two children at Jane Addams School, his commitment was to the entire District 15 community. He was driven by a desire to serve the public and give back to the school district in the community in which he lived.”

Because Mr. Bloom resigned with less than 868 days left to serve in his four-year term, and less than 88 days before the April 5, 2011, election, Illinois School Code requires the Board to appoint a successor to serve the remainder of his term within 45 days of his resignation.

Residents who are interested in being appointed to fill the vacancy and who meet the legal qualifications to be a Board member have until 4 p.m. Thursday, January 27, 2011, to submit their applications to the office of the Board Secretary at the Joseph M. Kiszka Educational Service Center, 580 N. 1st Bank Drive, Palatine. Late applications will not be accepted for any reason. Candidate Information Packets, which contain applications for the position, can be obtained from the office of the Board Secretary or downloaded at www.ccsd15.net > Board of Education > Election Process.

The Board will conduct personal interviews of all applicants at a special closed-session meeting to be held Saturday, January 29, 2011, at 9 a.m. It is anticipated that the Board will make its appointment on or before February 9, 2011, which is the date of its next regular Board meeting.

For more information, contact June Becker, Board Secretary, at 847-963-3208 or beckerj@ccsd15.net.

- Story Submitted by Community Consolidated School District 15