Andy Bittman, the former president of the Huntley Community School District 158 board, quietly resigned from the school board over the holiday break.

Bittman submitted his resignation Dec. 30 and it was effective immediately, a school district spokesperson confirmed Monday.

Bittman’s resignation came during the holidays and between school board meetings. The school board last met Dec. 18 but is scheduled to meet again Thursday. A transcript for the latest school board meeting did not have the word “resign” in it.

It’s not clear why Bittman resigned, and attempts to reach him Monday were not successful.

Bittman was first elected to the school board in 2023 alongside a slate that emphasized lowering taxes and getting what they felt were political agendas out of the classroom. Among them who were those who’d been active in opposing masks and shutdowns during COVID-19. After that slate flipped control of the school board, Bittman was selected to be the school board president.

But two years later, another slate of candidates – promoted by a group dissatisfied with the new direction of the board – gained control in the next election. Bittman was renominated for school board president but did not get enough votes to remain in the post, and Paul Troy became president.

The Spring 2025 election had left only Bittman and former board vice president Laura Murray on the board from the slate that won in 2023. With Bittman’s resignation, Murray is the only person from the slate still on the board. Murray’s seat is up for election in 2027, as is the seat Bittman is now vacating.

During Bittman’s tenure, the district waded into numerous controversies including whether to accept a state library grant tied to Illinois anti-book ban law and the Biden administration’s Title IX rule changes.

Then last year, Bittman publicly claimed another school board member had “committed a felony.”

The dispute came up after new board member Rich Bobby voted on to pay school district bills that included payments to Little City, a Palatine-based nonprofit that serves people with developmental disabilities and has done work with the school district. Bobby is CEO of Little City. Bittman contended Bobby went going against state law that prevents elected officials from benefitting from their office.

Bobby said at the time he merely made a rookie mistake and disclosed it to district officials. The board now votes on Little City payments separately so Bobby can abstain.

Bittman at the time called on Bobby to resign and said he was “hurting” the school district, his employer and himself. Bobby said he would not resign. Bittman said he recognized his slate lost its majority on the board and that if Bobby were to step down, someone with Bobby’s views would be appointed.

Despite Bittman’s slate pledging to lower taxes, the school board has voted to raise the property tax levy the past several years. Bittman and Murray both voted for a tax increase in 2023 and said while they wanted lower taxes, they also supported teachers and felt the increased levy was needed to pay for the teachers union contract the board approved.

The school board approved increases in 2024 and 2025.

Bittman and Murray voted against the property tax levy Dec. 18, which proposed a 2.9% increase, the most allowed under state law. The board has abated some dollars in past years, meaning taxpayers would not be charged for them.

Bittman’s resignation creates a vacancy on the board. The district is accepting applications for that vacancy through 3 p.m. Jan. 23.

People interested in serving on the school board can send their resume and a cover letter explaining their interest, including any conflicts of interest, to the Board of Education and superintendent’s office. Applications can be sent to spiemonte@d158.org.

Applicants can expect follow-up communications from the school board after applications have been reviewed, with in-person interviews with selected individuals during a meeting on a date and time to be determined, officials said. Questions can be directed to the superintendent’s office at 847-659-6103 or spiemonte@district158.org.