The Bourbonnais Elementary School District 53 Board of Education is accepting applications to fill the vacancy left by the recent death of one of its members.

The deadline to submit an application is Monday, Feb. 23.

The Jan. 13 death of Jayne Raef, 69, who had served on the board since 2007, brought the seven-member board down to six members.

Raef was the board’s president. Vice President Stephan Moulton is now leading the board in a pro tem capacity.

The individual selected for the appointment will serve until the next regular school election, according to the vacancy notice posted Feb. 10.

Raef’s term was set to expire in 2027.

Candidates must meet the legal requirements to serve as a school board member.

The requirements include being a United States citizen, at least 18 years of age, a resident of Illinois and the school district for at least one year prior to the appointment, and a registered voter.

Additionally, the candidate must not be a child sex offender, must not hold an incompatible public office, must not have a prohibited interest in any contract with the district, and must not be a school trustee.

Qualified residents should submit a letter of interest and a resume or statement of qualifications by email to palmeras@besd53.org, addressed to the Office of the Superintendent (Board Vacancy).

Applicants should demonstrate familiarity with the board’s policies regarding general duties, fiduciary responsibilities, conflict of interest, and ethics, which are available on the district’s website, besd53.org.

The board is scheduled to review all applications during a special meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 24.

Candidate interviews are slated to take place at 6 p.m. March 4.

The final selection will be confirmed via a public vote of the school board.

District 53 includes five schools: Alan Shepard, Noel LeVasseur and Shabbona elementary schools along with Liberty Intermediate and Bourbonnais Upper Grade Center.