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Sandy Wagner, a veteran of the Belleville Township High School District board for 19 years, has decided it's time to retire.
She has turned in her resignation a year short of the end of her term. The school board, which oversees Belleville East and Belleville West high schools, will meet Monday to discuss her replacement.
"When I got on that board a long, long time ago, I ran because I felt like the people who were on there had been on there too long and it was time for some new blood," Wagner said. "Now I'm the person who has been on there too long, and I want to step aside to let somebody else bring some new ideas in."
District 201 President Kurt Schroeder said he's sorry to see Wagner go.
"I certainly regret losing a board member like Sandy," Schroeder said. "She has been a valuable member of the 201 school board for many years, and she will be difficult to replace."
Wagner said she's proud of the many things the school board did during her tenure, which started in 1989 when her oldest son, Michael, was at Belleville East. But the single biggest thing she'll remember was the lengthy project to finance, design, build and open the new Belleville West High School on Frank Scott Parkway West.
"I think we accomplished lots of wonderful things, and the new Belleville West is the crowning glory," Wagner said. "I thought long and hard about not running the last time I was up for election (three years ago). But I wanted to see some things through with the new high school."
Now she's confident that the school board is in a good place, and it would be the best time for a new member to join.
"Sometimes, you do something for as long as I have done it, you feel like it's time to let someone else do it for a while," Wagner said. "I hate to say I'm resigning from the board. 'Retiring' has a lot better feel to it."
Schroeder said the appointee to Wagner's seat will serve the rest of her term, which expires after the April election.
Wagner said she plans to spend more time with her family. But she said she would still volunteer her time to the district for fundraisers and other events.
"I'm very comfortable with my decision," Wagner said. "But having a few less meetings will be nice."
Contact reporter Scott Wuerz at swuerz@bnd.com or 239-2626.
