Michael Rodriguez was elected president of the Waukegan Community Unit School District 60 Board of Education by his colleagues shortly after he took his oath of office with the other three winners of the April 1 school board election.
Rodriguez received four votes, including his own, from the seven-member board Tuesday in the first official event of the new board at the newly renovated Education Service Center at 225 West Washington St. in downtown Waukegan.
Presidency of the school board is not a new position for Rodriguez. He served nearly 13 years on the board between 2007 and 2020, including eight years as its president before resigning for health reasons in January of 2020.
“I feel a little apprehensive,” Rodriguez said after the meeting. “I know there is a lot of work to do, and I want to help doing it.”
After Rodriguez, newly elected member Angela Ramirez and reelected incumbents Anita Hanna and Jeff McBride took their oath of office, several members quickly nominated Rodriguez for president.
Superintendent Theresa Plascencia, acting as secretary pro tem, said the first person with four votes would be elected. Rodriguez, Ramirez, Carolina Fabian and Rick Riddle voted for Rodriguez. Board members Hanna, McBride and Christine Lensing voted no.
Hanna was also nominated for president, but since Rodriguez had already received four votes. Plascencia said there was no need for further balloting. Hanna was chosen vice president, and Plascencia secretary.
With the officers elected, the only agenda item requiring a vote was setting the calendar for board and committee meetings through the end of the board’s term in 2027. Nick Alatzakis, the district’s communications director, presented the current order and a potential new one.
Alatzakis said for the past several years, the board met on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month with exceptions for holidays and the summer. Committee meetings took place on the third Tuesday.
As a potential alternative, Alatzakis said the administration was offering a short meeting on the second Tuesday followed by committee meetings, with a longer board meeting on the fourth Tuesday where most votes would be taken. More detailed discussions take place during the committee meetings.
After a spirited discussion, the board voted 7-2 for the new proposal. Fabian, McBride, Ramirez, Riddle and Rodriguez voted for the new schedule, while Hanna and Lensing said no. Rodriguez explained his philosophy about the board’s mission after the balloting.
“We may not agree with something the majority of the board votes on,” Rodriguez said. “I’ve been in the minority a number of times. There were times I just didn’t agree but when I’m out in public, I support the decision of the board because it’s the board’s decision. I’m a member of the board, and I’m sworn to support it.”
Explaining that every school board in Illinois outside of Chicago consists of seven members, Rodriguez said the legislative intent was to create a panel with people from different walks of life and ideas. From a variety of personalities, comes a majority view, he said.
“That’s why we’re here as a board,” Rodriguez said. “To come together, to all express our points of view, what do we want, what do we want to see done, discuss it and vote on it. The majority rules. Whatever the majority decides, that’s what all of us here are sworn to support.”
Rodriquez also explained the reason for his resignation from the board five years ago. He said he became ill in October of 2019, and by January of the next year he had pneumonia. The COVID-19 pandemic was starting, but people were not yet being diagnosed or tested for it. No cases were reported in Lake County until March 11, 2020.
“I don’t know if I had COVID, but I was very ill for a long time,” he said.
Along with serving as president of the school board, Rodriguez serves as the chair of the Waukegan Planning & Zoning Commission.
Outgoing board President Brandon Ewing, who served eight years on the board — including six as president — and Adriana Gonzolez, who served one term after her election four years ago, were honored for their service at the end of the meeting.