You Don't Say? LTHS Official Resigns

LA GRANGE, IL – For months, Julie Swinehart, a Lyons Township High School board member, tried to keep secret her plan to resign. She took a job on the East Coast.

Since February, she has declined to answer Patch's questions about whether she planned to serve her entire term, which expires in April 2025.

On Friday, the school announced that Swinehart resigned a day earlier. The board gets to choose her replacement.

If Swinehart had resigned in time for deadlines before the April election, the voters could have filled her seat.

Since the winter, residents have told Patch that Swinehart would resign after the school's graduation, which was Wednesday. But Patch's inquiries to Swinehart, elected in 2021, went unanswered.

Swinehart's supporters took Patch to task online for its stories about Swinehart's future on the board. They said Patch should wait for a formal announcement.

A couple of weeks ago, Patch reported that Swinehart put her La Grange house up for sale. She also connected remotely to two recent board meetings.

In a news release Friday, the board asked residents interested in serving on the board to apply.

The board said it will hold a closed meeting to interview candidates. Under Illinois law, the board has a choice to keep such proceedings open.

Last July, Swinehart was hired as the chief financial officer for the Boston-based Fenway Sports Group, which owns the Boston Red Sox.

In the news release, officials praised Swinehart's service.

"Julie has been an incredible part of the Board of Education," board President Dawn Aubert said. "She has been instrumental in making important decisions to benefit our LT community with a focus on our students first. It has been a privilege to serve with Julie, and she will be missed."

Superintendent Brian Waterman said, "Julie is an advocate for all students. She brought a straightforward, common-sense approach to all Board matters. As a parent of three LT students and an alumnus herself, she brought a wealth of experience and well-rounded perspective."

In Illinois, school board members are unpaid.