Belleville School District 201 board members retire, leaving two open spots

The Belleville Township High School District 201 school board now has two vacancies, as longtime board members Marvin Lampkin and current President Mark Sauerwein said heartfelt goodbyes at Monday’s meeting.

The district had three seats to fill the April 1 election. Board member Ben Wanless ran and maintained his seat, while Lampkin and Sauerwein declined to run again. No community members ran to fill Lampkin and Sauerwein’s seats.

The board is now looking to the community to fill these two open seats. After the April 30 application deadline, the board has 60 days to appoint its new members. These individuals would serve until April 2027.

Those interested in being a board member should submit their resume and a letter of interest by noon April 30 to the district office, 920 N. Illinois St. in Belleville. Letters should be addressed to the district and board secretary, online instructions state.

Sauerwein and Lampkin were honored with plaques at Monday’s meeting.

Lampkin is the board’s longest-serving member. He was on the board from 2010 to 2014 and 2016 to 2025, and was board president at the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

Sauerwein served on the board for 10 straight years, from 2015 to 2025.

In addition to navigating the uncharted territory that came with COVID-19, both Sauerwein and Lampkin said the creation of The CAVE, the Center for Academic and Vocational Excellence, was one of the largest accomplishments of their tenure. The CAVE opened in 2021 and is located at 7645 Magna Drive on the west side of Belleville.

“The curriculum at The CAVE is so important because there needs to be a different route for kids who don’t want to go to college,” Sauerwein said. “This also gives them such a head start, and if they go into the trades, they can earn money quicker and get on with their lives quicker.”

Sauerwein’s retirement from the board comes with wanting more time to commit to his new grandchild.

For Lampkin, he’s ready to take a break and reflect.

“I think it’s time for some other folks to come in and have an opportunity to impact the district too,” Lampkin said.

New district special education director, other administration changes

At both the district-level and at individual schools, students will see changes in their administrators starting in fall 2025. These are:

• Soune Ursani will be the district’s director of curriculum
• Stacy Louderman will be the district’s director of special education
• Krysten Harres will be the Belleville East High School associate principal
• Brent Whipple will be The CAVE’s assistant principal

This story was originally published April 22, 2025 at 5:30 AM.