April 30, 2019

Two new members are joining the School District U-46 Board of Education (BOE), with Eva Porter scheduled to get sworn in at a special BOE meeting Tuesday night. Kathleen Thommes, who has already signed the oath of office, will be sworn in publicly at the Monday, May 6 BOE meeting.

Also expected to take the oath of office Tuesday night are incumbents Sue Kerr and John Devereux, who were re-elected in the April 2 Consolidated Election, as well as new student advisor Hallie Furtak, a junior at Streamwood High School.

The U-46 Board of Education has seven voting members, in addition to the Student Advisor, who serves in an advisory capacity and who represents all public high school students in U-46. The Student Advisor is elected by the CEO’s Student Advisors. All Board of Education members are volunteers.

Porter, of Hanover Park, is a retired educator who has a master’s degree in curriculum instruction and supervision from Northern Illinois University. She is a former trustee of the Poplar Creek Public Library District Board, a mentor with Kids Hope USA, a fundraiser for March of Dimes, and a parent of U-46 graduates.

Thommes is an Elgin resident and former U-46 educator who now teaches at Elgin Community College. She earned her teaching certificate from Illinois State University and has two master’s degrees; one in the art of teaching and the other in teaching English to speakers of other languages.

She has also served as the tutor trainer coordinator for Literacy Connection of Elgin and as co-chair of the Specialized Student Services and Finance committees for the Citizens’ Advisory Council. She has three children in U-46.

Hallie Furtak will serve a one-year term as Student Advisor, replacing Jackson Teetor, who will graduate in May from Larkin High School.

The Board of Education will recognize outgoing members Phil Costello and Jeanette Ward as well as Student Advisor Teetor.