Nearly 6,000 men and women serve on local Boards of Education in Illinois, and seven of them represent the students and taxpayers of Coal City Community Unit School District 1.
Each year, November 15 marks the official statewide observance of School Board Members Day in Illinois.
“This is an opportunity to build community awareness and understanding about the essential role locally elected board of education members assume in a representative democracy,,” Superintendent Chris Spencer said.
The honorary day further serves as an opportunity for school districts and communities to show support for their elected board of education and the commitment its members make to ensure the educational vision is met.
Board members, who serve as unpaid volunteers, dedicate a significant amount of time to the district, something that is often overlooked in their communities. They attend extra-curricular events, participate in professional development opportunities, serve on committees, represent the district at community events and put in long hours beyond their routine meetings to ensure students have access to the educational resources needed to succeed.
“We appreciate everything you do in representing the community, and always putting our students first.” Spencer told the Unit 1 Board of Education at its meeting this month, adding that in his 27 years with the district he can not remember a time a Board member came on with an agenda. “Everyone has always had the students' best interest at heart and we appreciate that.”
Coal City’s seven-member board has over 74 years of combined experience and many have been honored for their contributions and commitment to their districts. Working together they act to safeguard two of the community’s most precious resources—its children and tax dollars—while striving to create the best educational environment possible.
“Today we honor and recognize our school board members—Ken Miller, Shawn Hamilton, Quint Harmon, Steve Rogers, Cindy Klein, Dan Englehart and Jeff Emerson—who are committed to making the Coal City School District a welcoming and safe place for all students to learn and grow,” Spencer said.
Following a career in education, Ken P. Miller continues to serve the community as a member of the Board of Education. He was first elected to the Board in 2007 and has served the past 11 years as president. Mr. Miller represents the Board on the Learning Leadership Team [LLT], Unit 1 Educational Foundation and Athletics Committee. His work on the Board has earned him recognition from the IASB as a Distinguished Board Leader.
Board vice president Shawn Hamilton has served the district for nearly 22 years and has been recognized twice by IASB as a Distinguished Board Leader. He has served in the role of vice president since 2013, and also held the position of president for four years. Mr. Hamilton is the district’s representative to the IASB Three Rivers Division and serves on the Finance and Discipline Committees.
Quint Harmon is in his 15th year of service to the district and has also earned the recognition of Distinguished Board Leader by IASB. In September he was appointed by his fellow board members to serve as secretary pro tempore, a position that he will fill until the board’s reorganization meeting in May 2025. Mr. Harmon is a member of the Finance and Discipline Committees and represents the board as an alternate member to the High School Scholarship Committee and Unit 1 Educational Foundation.
Steve Rogers is nearing four years of service on the Board of Education. He serves on the district’s Board Policy and Insurance Committees.
Dan Engelhardt has served the district for nearly two years. He was appointed in 2021 to serve a short term vacancy and was elected in 2023. He serves as the Board’s representative to the Grundy Area Vocational Center [GAVC] and on the Athletics Committee.
Cindy Klein will mark two years of board membership in April 2025. She is a member of the district’s Board Policy and Transportation Committees.
Jeff Emerson returned to the Board of Education this month. He was appointed to fill out the remaining six months of the term held by Mary Gill who passed away in August. Mr. Emerson previously served 12.5 years on the Board.
Mrs. Gill was the longest serving board member in district history with nearly 27 years of continued service to the district, 23 of those years as the board secretary.
The theme of this year’s School Board Members Day is, “Thank You.”
“Thank you for your dedication and sacrifice to our community and school district. We have a great district and our students and community are very fortunate because of your leadership.” Spencer said.