Three newly elected Evanston Township High School/District 202 board members were officially sworn in Monday during a board meeting at Evanston Township High School.

Newcomers Stephanie Teterycz and Elizabeth Rolewicz joined incumbent Monique Parsons in assuming their seats on the newly reorganized D202 board, which also includes a new student representative. The three women were elected to the roles April 2 in an election where each member received over 20 percent of the vote.

Following Monday’s ceremony, six of the seven elected seats on the board are filled by women.

Before the new members took the oath of office, meeting attendees said goodbye to former board members Mark Metz and Jonathan Baum.

Metz was appointed to the board in 2009 and elected in 2011. During his 10 years of service on the board, Metz held the role of president from 2011 to 2012 and vice president from 2013 to 2016.

“I’m absolutely certain that ETHS has never been a better school,” Metz said. “It doesn’t mean we’re there, there are challenges still there to keep going, to stay the course until we can say that this is an excellent school for every child… we’re on the right path.”

Baum, who was elected to the board in 2011, is retiring from the board alongside Metz. Baum graduated from ETHS in 1974.

During the meeting, Pat Savage-Williams was re-appointed board president — a position she has held since 2015. Parsons, who was seated next to her, was likewise re-appointed as board vice president, a role she previously occupied.

In her welcome address to the new board, Savage-Williams reiterated the board’s first goal. It states that ETHS will “strive to eliminate the predictability of academic achievement” based on race, income, disability and status as English language learners.

She said the board sets policy and continually challenges the administration to provide student achievement at all levels.

“It’s always about the students,” she said. “There is no greater contribution than serving as a member of the leadership team that provides education opportunities for students in our ETHS community. I anticipate that this will be a rewarding yet challenging experience for you.”

During the meeting, the board also said farewell to senior Phoebe Liccardo, the outgoing student representative.

Parsons said she has been impressed by Liccardo throughout her tenure on the board and while she has been active in the community. Parsons said it was especially evident when sat with Liccardo on the hiring panel for the new Evanston Police Department chief of police, Demitrous Cook, who was appointed on December 11.

“Thank you for serving and thank you for just being who you are inside this building and within the community,” Parsons said.

Following an election by the ETHS student body, the board swore in junior Echo Allen as the new student representative.

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Twitter: @juliaesparza10

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