Sandburg Middle School's roughly 630 students will start the school year Thursday, August 13, under a principal they've never met.

The Elmhurst District 205 Board of Education voted Tuesday, July 14, to appoint Michael Boraz as interim principal of Sandburg Middle School for the 2026–27 school year. The district did not disclose Boraz's pay. The board also approved recently retired assistant principal Jeff Gail to return for 50 days through October as an interim administrator, earning $525 per day, to help Boraz and incoming assistant principal Brandi Greene get settled.

Boraz is retiring from Chicago Public Schools, where he spent the last seven years as a Network Chief of Schools overseeing 28 schools across the city. Before that, he served nine years as principal of Lincoln Park High School. He holds a master's in education from the University of Michigan and an educational leadership certificate from National-Louis University.

Why interim, not permanent

Sandburg's previous principal, Joshua Louis, announced in June that he was leaving for the same job at Rotolo Middle School in Batavia District 101. His departure came after the typical hiring window for administrators had closed, according to the district. Louis had led Sandburg for three years and earned $144,200 in 2025; he will make $163,000 in Batavia.

Sandburg is the second D205 school entering 2026–27 without a permanent principal. York High School's Jessica Hurt left in spring 2026 for Indian Prairie District 204, and the board voted unanimously on Wednesday, May 6, to install co-interim principals Linda Yonke ($1,300/day) and Stephan Bild ($1,100/day) at York.

Superintendent Keisha Campbell said at the May 6 meeting that recruiting a permanent principal "ideally takes place earlier in the school year to attract the highest quality candidate," and that the district planned a full search for a permanent York hire starting July 1, 2027. The district has not announced a similar timeline for Sandburg.

Board acknowledges community concern

Board member Courtenae Trautmann addressed parent unease at the July 14 meeting. "It provides angst in our community about what it looks like," she said of the back-to-back interim appointments. But she called the Sandburg hires the best scenario for stability, saying the alternative would be a "knee-jerk decision that won't serve the community."

Because Boraz retired from CPS, he is in the Chicago Teachers Pension Fund rather than the Illinois Teachers Retirement System. That distinction means he faces no state-imposed cap on the hours he can work in suburban public schools. Gail, a TRS retiree, is limited to 120 days of post-retirement work under state rules.

The district has not announced when it will begin searching for a permanent Sandburg principal.