Unit 5 will soon appoint a new school board member after Alex Williams resigned from the board in late September.
Unit 5 is seeking applicants to fill the vacant seat. Williams said in an email sent to other board members announcing his resignation that he had decided not to run for reelection in the spring several weeks prior.
“At that time, I committed to continuing to partner with all of you on this important community work,” said Williams. “However, my decision to accelerate this timeline is driven by the need to maintain the board’s geographic balance and preserve long-term structural continuity.”
Membership on the board is restricted to a maximum of three members from any township [a 36-square-mile geographic designation].
Another board member had a residency change into the township where Williams and two other board members live. Because Williams was not running for reelection, he chose to resign.
“It was best for me to allow that board member to continue serving our community,” said Williams in an email shared with WGLT. “I believe this was a ‘small sacrifice’ I could make to preserve board continuity.”
Williams, who was elected in 2023, said he still plans to remain involved in the K-12 space, just in other capacities.
Due to the residency of current board members, candidates living in Dry Grove Township and certain parts of Normal and Bloomington are not eligible to apply for the open seat.
The board has until Nov. 29 — 60 days from the date of Williams’ resignation — to fill the position. Applicants must be an adult, a U.S. citizen who is registered to vote and must have resided in the school district for at least a year by the date of the appointment to the position.
Interested applicants are invited to attend an overview of the district and school board service that will be held Oct. 13 at the Unit 5 office in Normal.
Final candidates will be reviewed by the school board prior to a final selection of the replacement. The appointment is expected to be made at the November regular school board meeting.
The seat will still be up for reelection in April 2027. The filing period for the spring consolidated elections will be Nov. 16-23.
