Schools

Mike Ford's Resignation from M159 Board Viewed as a Loss

At least one fellow board member, Patrick Markham, said M159 is losing an experienced board member. Member Mike Ford resigned his seat.

Mokena School Dist. 159 Board Member Mike Ford submitted a letter of resignation June 5. He refuses to allow his temporary out-of-district residency issue to be a matter of contention on the board.

After the May 15 school board meeting, Ford learned that he had until June 10 to re-establish residency in the district or face removal.

He said he met with the district's attorney and newly-elected Board President Danielle Didrickson. The two informed him that there was a legality in place that demands board members re-establish residency within 90 days. Ford said he learned at that meeting that the 90-day clock started ticking on March 15. That was the day he revealed his predicament, telling the board that he had temporarily moved beyond the bounds of the district.

Ford said in late February he sold his home in Mokena far faster than intended, considering the current real estate market. The stipulations in the sale required that he and his family would have to vacate and move in temporarily with his in-laws in unincorporated New Lenox. His plan was to find a new home within the boundaries of the Mokena school district.

He is currently in negotiations for a new home within the district's bounds, said Ford. Neither Didrickson nor Vice President Jim Andresen has returned calls from Patch.

Ford was first elected in 2011 

Ford has been on the board for two years. Elected in 2011, he was the top vote-getter with more than 2,500 votes.

In his letter of resignation, he addresses the majority of the board, noting that a similar situation occurred a few years ago, and the individual was given six months to re-establish residency.  

Ford argues in his resignation letter:

"I have previously stated and felt that 180 days would be a more reasonable time period for me to re-establish residency within the District, especially considering the current market conditions, the difficulty with timing a home sale and purchase, and the fact that there has been a previous precedent set with former Board Member (Kevin) Pajeau."

Pajeau left the board in 2010, after having sold his Mokena home. He was given six months to move back into the district. Ultimately, he chose to move to a different community.

One Ford supporter, former board president Patrick Markham, spoke out on Ford's behalf. He said Ford should have been given at least 90 days beginning May 15. Instead, he had less than a month to comply. Markham said Ford's expertise, especially in regard to teacher contract negotiations, will be sorely missed. Contractual matters are coming up again soon.

Ford further stated in his letter, "During my time on the Board, I have worked hard to make decisions that I feel balanced the needs of the students, the parents, the tax paying residents, the administration and the teachers. Along with the other Board members, I feel that we have accomplished a lot over the past two plus years. Most importantly, we negotiated a fair and equitable teacher’s contract, established more transparency and worked to achieve a balanced budget that did not borrow from the District’s reserve fund."

The Mokena School Dist. 159 sent out a notice June 5 that there was vacancy. The notice requests that interested individuals meeting the residency requirement submit a resume by June 19. A new member is expected to be appointed at the July 17 board of education meeting. 
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