Dixon Public School board to fill vacancy at special meeting

DIXON — Dixon Public Schools has called a special meeting for 11 a.m. Friday to fill a vacancy on the board of education.

The board had reviewed applicants during the last week of March. According to Superintendent Margo Empen the special meeting is to interview the five candidates. The board will vote in open session after the meeting. The goal is to have the new board member seated at the May 18 meeting.

The term for the open position lasts until May 2023.

The board position became open with the resignation of Rachael Gehlbach, whose family is moving to Madison, Wisconsin.

During the April 20 regular meeting, the last order of business was for Empen and board President Linda Wegner to present Gehlbach with a certificate.

Both encouraged Gehlbach to run for the school board in her new home. “I hope to be reading about you in the Madison paper,” Wegner said. “Use all this information you’ve gained all these years. Our loss, their gain.”

Gehlbach thanked the district’s teachers for how they’ve soldiered on during the pandemic. “I just have so much respect for what you do, particularly in the midst of COVID. Thank you to the community for the opportunity to do this,” she said.

Editor’s note: this story was edited to clarify an earlier online version.