GEORGETOWN — School Superintendent Greg Irwin, who offered to apologize publicly for using a district employee, mower and gasoline for personal use, submitted a resignation agreement at a special hearing on Thursday.

His resignation was unanimously accepted by the Georgetown-Ridge Farm School Board.

Irwin, who has served as superintendent since July 2009, has been on paid administrative leave since a special board meeting on May 22.

Under the terms of the agreement, which was obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, Irwin resigned as of June 30, and agreed to submit a reimbursement check to the district for $2,079. The board will send a letter to Vermilion County State's Attorney Randy Brinegar asking that his office stop the investigation into Irwin's alleged use of district property for personal use.

"Expending additional time and resources to pursue this matter is not in the best interests of the district," said district attorney W. Anthony Andrews of Ottosen, Britz, Kelly, Cooper, Gilbert & DiNolfo, Ltd. of Naperville in a prepared statement.

The hearing was held in the Georgetown-Ridge Farm High School cafeteria, and was attended by about 100 people. Only one member of the audience took advantage of an opportunity to address the board, and asked about the future of the district's leadership.

Board members went into closed session to discuss the resignation agreement five minutes after the hearing started, and emerged an hour and 10 minutes later. The board did not discuss the matter in open session, and instead voted on a motion to accept the agreement.

According to documents provided by school district attorneys under the Freedom of Information Act, Irwin sent a memo to the board on May 24, offering to apologize publicly for using the district mower/tractor, district gasoline and district employees for his personal use, and to reimburse the district about $1,400 at that time for equipment use, labor costs, fuel and mileage.

In the statement that was read on Thursday, Irwin admitted no wrongdoing. He declined to comment after the hearing.

Board President Cheryl Kestufskie said the board received Irwin's proposed resignation agreement earlier on Thursday, and that she thought its terms were fair.

"I am absolutely pleased that this matter is done," she said.

The board's next task is finding a replacement superintendent.

Andy Weathers, the principal of Ridge Farm Elementary School since 1995 and the assistant superintendent, has been serving as acting superintendent for the district since May 22.

Weathers submitted a letter of retirement to the board that was accepted on May 9, 2011. His retirement is effective on June 30, 2011.

Kestufskie has said the board was limited to the amount of planning it could do for the district administration positions until Irwin's situation was decided.

Following the hearing, Weathers commented simply that he was retired.

Kestufskie called a special board meeting for 8:30 a.m. on Sunday to address the open superintendent position. She said the board's priority would be finding a superintendent, and then the board and the new superintendent would address the principal position at Ridge Farm Elementary.

Lisa Hackler, the president of the Georgetown-Ridge Farm Education Association, said she was glad to see the matter resolved so that the district could move forward.

Mayor Dennis Lucas said he expected more people to attend the hearing. He said he wished that more people attended regular school board and city council meetings, and that more people volunteered to benefit the community.

Mindy Herrin, the mother of three students in the district, said the decision to hold a special public hearing on the matter was a good one, and that the elected officials were doing what was in the best interest of the school district.

Former school board member Keith Dalenberg said it was good to see people coming out to meetings that affect the community