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Justin Caldwell, president of the board of education for Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School District 307, announced he will be stepping down from the board.
His resignation will be effective Aug. 11.
In his letter of resignation, dated July 30, Caldwell states that he has accepted a position with the Illinois Association of School Boards.
Caldwell, of Bourbonnais, will be the director of outreach and training for the IASB. He will be supporting the Three Rivers Division for the association, which includes BBCHS and other member districts in the region.
He will be helping with school board trainings, self evaluations and retreats.
Accepting the position means he is required to resign from the BBCHS Board, as it creates a conflict of interest.
Caldwell is on his third term on the board. His current term is set to expire in April 2027.
He previously served as a member of the Bradley Elementary District 61 School Board.
Others on the seven-member BBCHS Board currently include Jim Patterson, Ann Brezinski, Jennifer Edmonds, Sally Martell, Lubow Lewicky and Gretchen DeMarah Pammer.
In Caldwell’s absence, the role of president will be assumed by Patterson, the vice president.
The board will post the vacancy and accept applications for an appointee to fill the remainder of Caldwell’s unexpired term.
When contacted by the Daily Journal, Caldwell said he had no prior intentions of leaving the BBCHS Board and struggled to make the decision.
“At the end of the day, I’m still going to be connected to education and being able to support my local community, because I’ll be able to work with all the boards within Kankakee County as well, too,” he said. “I’m excited for it.”
Caldwell also noted he plans to stay involved with BBCHS as a community member, especially as the building upgrades resulting from last November’s referendum come to fruition.
The $70 million upgrades were set in motion after years of board discussion and planning, which Caldwell was a part of.
“I really have a love of BBCHS and the community, and I plan to stay very connected,” he said.
He further explained the decision in his resignation letter.
“Serving the students, families, staff, and community of BBCHS has been one of the greatest honors of my professional career,” Caldwell wrote. “I am proud of what we have accomplished together, particularly our collective efforts to improve student outcomes, strengthen transparency, renovate our facility, and create a positive trajectory for the future of the district.”
The Illinois Association of School Boards is a voluntary organization of local boards of education dedicated to strengthening the public schools through local citizen control, according to its website.
Although not a part of state government, IASB is organized by member school boards as a private not-for-profit corporation under authority granted by Article 23 of The Illinois School Code, the site says.