Daisy Espino
A second Elk Grove Township Elementary District 59 school board member has stepped down in as many weeks.
Daisy Espino, elected in April 2021, announced her resignation in a written statement Wednesday. The board held a meeting that night, but Espino did not attend.
“I am beyond grateful to have been part of this amazing team that does nothing more than thrive to search for the best solutions and better the education for our children,” wrote Espino, of Mount Prospect. “I am proud to say that I got to work with wonderful people, all the way from staff, administration and the community throughout these past years, and the progress made is noticeable. Thank you for all the support.”
Her announcement comes on the heels of the June 28 resignation of Robert Mancilla, of Arlington Heights, who said he is stepping aside to “focus on my own continued development.”
Robert Mancilla
The resignations will give new school board President TR Johnson and his majority an even tighter grip on the elected panel.
Johnson — son of longtime Elk Grove Village Mayor Craig Johnson — ascended to the board presidency this spring with the support of board members Lucas Szczesny and Sarah Dzak, who ran on his Save Our Schools slate in 2023.
Both Mancilla’s and Espino’s four-year terms expire in April 2025. Under state law, the five remaining school board members have 60 days from the day they were notified of the resignation to fill a vacated seat.
Officials said they now are accepting applications for both positions. The paperwork, available at ccsd59.org/board-of-education, is due back to the superintendent’s office by 4 p.m. Thursday.
Those who applied for the board position following longtime board member Mardell Schumacher’s resignation in January do not need to fill out a new application. If any applicants are interested, they should email the executive assistant to the superintendent at [email protected].
The board is expected to conduct interviews and make a decision Aug. 14. The new appointed board members would serve the remaining time on Espino’s and Mancilla’s terms until the spring 2025 election.