Unit 5 school board president Jeremy DeHaai said at Wednesday's board meeting that he will not run for reelection next year, citing personal reasons.
DeHaai finishes his four-year term in 2025. He was elected during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, running on a “students first” campaign. He told WGLT after the meeting that’s also what he’s most proud of from his time served: prioritizing young learners.
“To see the students return from COVID and to get that learning back and thrive … that's an important thing, and it's a great thing to see,” he said, pointing out that summer school enrollment expanded this year, which he considers another win.
DeHaai said he will remain involved in Unit 5 through the Citizens Advisory Council.
On his reasons for leaving, he elaborated to WGLT, is that he and his wife are finally empty nesters and when thinking about how he wanted to spend the next four years, he wasn’t sure he could fit school board into the equation anymore. DeHaai said he and his wife are looking forward to traveling and for him, potential retirement.
DeHaai encouraged community members interested in the role to reach out to him, adding he supports everyone running for re-election, but hopes there are multiple candidates for voters to choose from.
“If I were to pick my candidate, you know, is somebody, you know, a different viewpoint, somebody with different experiences, different backgrounds, to bring a different perspective to the board,” he said, noting the more diverse the board is, the better.
The deadline for candidates to submit nomination petitions for the Unit 5 school board is Nov. 18.
Filing is completed through the McLean County Clerk's Office and Bloomington Election Commission. The Illinois Association of School Boards has more information on its website.
In other business, the board:
— Heard updates about facility repairs and several good news stories, including an Hudson Eagle Scout who revitalized the green space around Parkside Junior High School.
— Was given an update from two of the district’s bilingual parent liaisons, who help families across schools through interpreting, tutoring and other language services. They shared there are currently 615 students district-wide in the English Learners Program, though not all use the liaisons as a resource.
