Politics & Government

Michelle Sopko Resigns From Arbor Park School Board

The board of education for District 145 has 45 days to fill the vacancy.

Michelle Sopko, the Oak Forest woman accused along with her husband of embezzling more than $350,000 from the Palos Heights fire district, has resigned from her seat on the board of Arbor Park School District 145.

READ: Oak Forest Fire Deputy Chief, Wife Arrested for Alleged Embezzlement

The district sent out a press release Monday, Jan. 20, announcing a vacancy on the board because of Sopko's resignation. No other information about when or how Sopko resigned was included in the release.

Sopko and her husband, Charles, a deputy chief with the Oak Forest Fire Department, were arrested in December on charges of each charged with felony theft of government property over $100,000 for allegedly embezzling $352,938 from the Palos Heights Fire Protection District and funneling that money into a shared bank account.

READ: Sopkos Still Sit on Boards, But Why?

Charles Sopko is currently on paid administrative leave with the fire department while the city conducts an internal investigation.

The Arbor Park school district is now accepting applications for Michelle Sopko's vacant seat, which expires in April of 2015. The board has 45 days to appoint a new member, according to the state's school code. 

District residents interested in the seat must submit a letter of interest and/or a résumé by 3 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 29. Applications can be mailed or dropped off at the district’s Administrative Office:
 
Attn: Tina Moslander, Board President 
17301 Central Ave. 
Oak Forest, IL 60452 

Eligible applicants must be at least 18 years old, have lived in the district for at least a year and be a registered voter.

Read More on the Sopkos Case:


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