The monthly Board of Education meeting was held on Thursday, April 20. A couple of days ago, superintendent Scott Rowe sent out an email to everyone, announcing that he would be leaving District 158 and has been elected as superintendent of District 214 in the Arlington Heights, Wheeling, and Buffalo Grove area.

After introductions, the Pledge of Allegiance was led by Marlowe Middle School students and assistant principal Keith Panke. Panke gave information to the board and audience that the students who were introducing themselves won an award during Black History Month.

“I’m here to recognize and introduce the group here from Marlowe. They have won those contests either in the Black History Month contest, the Martin Luther King: ‘I Have a Dream’ Essay, or the Young Author [contest,]” Panke said.

Then, many students from kindergarten to second grade received Young Author Awards from each elementary school and each grade from Mackaben, Chesak, and Leggee.

“They worked really hard at home and with their parents as well,” second-grade teacher Christy Gibbs said.

The meeting also had a Young Author Award for grades third to fifth from Martin, Conley, and Leggee elementary schools. After the Young Author Award, many parents complained with concerns what was going on in the district with the students.
Many former members of the board of education gave speeches to the board members.

“People who weren’t around back need to set the stage, [in] 2006 [the] year I came, we were the fastest growing school district in the late 2000s and with that came a lot of problems and challenges,” former superintendent John Burkey said.

During the 2000s, District 158 has been one of the fastest, growing school districts in the nation due to a population boom in the city of Huntley during the 2000s. Because of this, there have been more problems around the school district ever since.
The meeting ended with multiple revisions of agreements with the board.