Lockport Township School Board Member Boersma Resigns

LOCKPORT, IL — The Lockport Township District 205 Board of Education will begin the new year needing to fill a vacancy after a board member who was elected in April informed officials on Wednesday that he is resigning his spot, the district announced on Thursday.

Marty Boersma resigned his seat on the board, effective immediately, and informed district officials of his decision on Wednesday. Boersma was sworn onto the board in May, officials said. The district did not provide a reason for Boersma’s decision to leave the board. A district spokesperson did not immediately return an email seeking comment on Boersma's resignation.

"We appreciate all of his work during his short term with us and we wish him the best,” Board of Education President Ann Lopez-Caneva said in a statement released by the district on Thursday.

In an election questionnaire published in the spring by the website, We The Parents, Boersma — an Orland Park native and graduate of Carl Sandburg High School – said that he was concerned about several "distractions" in the school that diverted the attention of students away from their education.

"I have attended numerous board meetings over the past 2 years and noticed that the voices of the parents and residents go unheard," Boersma wrote on the website. "This alone has motivated me to run for school board. The current board members seem to completely ignore concerns brought to their attention and vote according to an agenda, not taking the residents' concerns into consideration.

He added: "My commitment to the community is to stand firm on my ability to listen to others, to question motives, and to be the voice for all students, families, teachers, and taxpayers of the LTHS district."

District officials said that they will announce an application process on Jan. 3 to fill the seat on the board. The Board of Education will have a special meeting at 6:30 p.m. on January 11 in the Porter Room at East Campus. The primary reason for the meeting is for the approval of state applications and waivers.

The board will add to its closed session agenda a discussion of the selection process for a new board member. The board will release to the public the selection process on Friday, January 12, 2024, and the information will be published on the district’s website.

The board plans to interview applicants in late January or early February so that it can appoint the new member in February. All information about this process will be released on the district website.

“I believe the entire board appreciates Mr. Boersma’s willingness to volunteer and serve his community,” Lockport Township Superintendent Robert McBride said in a statement on Thursday. “It has been a pleasure getting to know him as a person and board member. I respect the careful thought and consideration that he gave to this important decision for himself, our board, and the community.”