CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Less than two months before a school board election, there’s a move in the western suburbs to try to recall most members of one board.
A group called D303 Move Forward has begun a campaign to recall five of the six members of the St. Charles District 303 board.
According to the Daily Herald, because there is no legal way a "recall" locally elected officials, including school board members, the group is asking the board members to resign and is following state regulations for recalling the governor. Once the group finishes collecting signatures, the petition will be filed with the Kane County recorder's office and submitted to the election board for a hearing.
Named in the petition are school board President Nick Manheim, Vice President Carolyn Waibel, Jillian Barker, Becky McCabe and Ed McNally. Heidi Fairgrieve was the lone school board member not named.
"Many D303 constituents need St. Charles District 303 school board members to make data-driven decisions for all students and taxpayers and to hold (Superintendent Jason Pearson) accountable for academic results and student well-being," the group said in a post on its Facebook page.
The Move Forward group has pushed for more in-person learning. Right now, elementary students learn in schools while middle school and high school students are learning in a hybrid model.
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Board president Nick Manheim, who is not running for re-election, said he’s proud of the efforts of board members and staff during the COVID crisis.
"During the COVID-19 crisis, school board members have been charged with protecting the health and safety of students and staff members while also providing for the educational and learning needs of all students," he said in a statement. "I am proud of the enormous efforts from all of our board members and staff as they have worked to accomplish this balance."
The school board election is in April. Fairgrieve, McNally and Waibel are up for reelection. Manheim is not. Barker and McCabe’s terms run until 2023.