HILLSDALE—School Board President Shane Svorec announced her resignation “with mixed emotions” at the June 13 board meeting after serving seven-and-a-half years on the board in various roles, including president, vice president and a trustee on multiple committees over the years.
Svorec announced her resignation soon after the board voted 5-0 to approve the $82.5 million middle school referendum as part of the buildings and grounds consent agenda.
She later said that her resignation had nothing to do with any social media controversy or chatter over the proposed middle school referendum.
She discounted any rumors that her resignation was related to “rising heat from a particular project,” and “social media outbursts. I am a lot tougher than that and I’ve endured much, much more.” She noted the board can count on her for support “as a plain-old taxpayer.”
She will leave the board at the end of the 2021-2022 school year, although she noted she had “struggled” with making the decision.
She said when her youngest child graduated from middle school last year, she said it felt “like a natural and appropriate time for me to move on.”
She said, however, that her commitment to the school district and will to serve “during trying times” prolonged the decision. She said as a volunteer she has worked alongside many trustees, several superintendents, and faced obstacles and challenges.
She said she has witnessed “many students succeeding, teachers overcoming and dedicated parents and various stakeholders supporting our efforts and contributing to the success of our district.”
“While it has been a tough and tiring job, it has also been a moving and gratifying experience and one in which I’ve taken great pride and made a significant investment in,” she said. She said she has volunteered “in some capacity” for over nine years with local schools.
She said she fully supports the district’s plans for a new middle school and praised Superintendent Lombardy’s leadership.
She thanked residents who have supported her and voted for over the years, she noted, “it has been an honor and a privilege to serve in this capacity.”
Other trustees and Lombardy praised Svorec’s contributions to the board.
Svorec said she would remain as president through the end of June to assist the board while it goes through the process of interviewing and selecting a new trustee. The board will soon advertise for and interview new volunteers interested in filling an open seat on the board, officials said.
Up for indie book award
Separately, Svorec recently wrote a book, “Broken Little Believer: Finding Purpose in All the Pretty Painful Pieces,” that is named by the Independent Book Publishing Professionals Group as one of the best indie books of 2022. Svorec’s book is a finalist in the Spirituality category in the 2022 Next Generation Indie Book Awards, the world’s largest book awards program for independent publishers.
Svorec will be honored on June 24 at a gala event at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C., coinciding with the American Library Association Annual Conference.
See “Shane Svorec invites you on the ‘road trip’ of your life,” Pascack Press, July 23, 2021.