The Riverside School District 96 Board of Education, at a special meeting March 26, approved the resignation of Angela Dolezal, director of teaching and learning.
In a meeting that lasted about five minutes, the board was unanimous in its decision to accept Dolezal’s resignation. She had been in her role in the district since 2019. Dolezal was not present at the meeting.
No reasons were given for the resignation.
Superintendent Dr. Martha Ryan-Toye lauded Dolezal’s accomplishments. Those mentioned included implementing district-wide full-day kindergarten, implementing updated and revised curriculum resources and and helping the district navigate the pandemic by supporting both remote and in-person learning.
“I know I speak for the board and everyone in District 96 when I express my deep appreciation for all that Angela has done for D96 and wish her the absolute best as she continues her leadership in education,” Ryan-Toye said, adding that Dolezal will “assist me remotely on specific projects as she transitions from her role at the end of June 2026.”
Casimira Gordon, principal of Blythe Park Elementary School, will take on some of those responsibilities part-time as well, she said.
However, the specific reasons for Dolezal’s resignation weren’t made clear. When contacted Friday via phone, Dolezal was reticent to discuss the situation.
“I’m not ready to talk about any of it,” she said.
Dolezal recently was a finalist for the superintendent position at Oak Park School District 97, but was not selected. By a 5-0 board vote, with two members absent, the board approved the hiring of Terri Bresnahan, superintendent of Community Consolidated School District 59.
Prior to her tenure at District 96, Dolezal was principal at Longfellow School in Oak Park for 13 years.
When asked if Dolezal’s resignation was related to her application for the District 97 superintendent’s position, Ryan-Toye was clear that it was not.
When asked if there was a specific reason for Dolezal’s resignation, she said, “I can’t comment on that.” And when asked if Dolezal’s contract would have been renewed had she not resigned, the response was the same.
Board members Thursday complemented Ryan-Toye’s remarks regarding Dolezal’s work in District 96.
“From the board’s perspective, speaking for the board, I do agree with that as well, there have been a lot of major accomplishments in her time here and we wish her well,” board president Wesley Muirheid said.
“I want to echo my thanks to Angela for her dedication during her time within our district,” added board secretary Stephanie Basanez Gunn. “I appreciated getting to know her and work with her as a board member and also as a parent, and of course our paths crossed just as members of the same community, and similarly I just wish her the best.”
Board member Dan Hunt said, “It’s a regret that I will be voting this evening on this.”