Students at York Community High School and Sandburg Middle School returned to class Thursday, Aug. 13, under brand-new interim principals, and the board that hired them will hold its first regular meeting of the school year Wednesday, Aug. 19, at 6:30 p.m. at the District 205 Center, 162 S. York St.
The meeting comes as the district navigates leadership at three buildings and fresh scrutiny over a roughly $32,000 gap between average administrator and teacher pay.
Three schools, three new leaders
York students now report to co-interim principals Dr. Linda Yonke and Stephan Bild, approved unanimously at a special board meeting May 6. The vote was 6-0. Yonke, who served as York's principal from 1998 to 2004 and later led New Trier High School District 203 as superintendent for 11 years, earns $1,300 per day. Bild, a retired Downers Grove South principal with more than 50 years in education, earns $1,100 per day.
"I've learned how to be a temp. I simply serve as a bridge to what's coming," Bild said when the board approved the appointments in May.
The district plans a full search for a permanent York principal this fall, with a target start date of July 1, 2027. Previous principal Jessica Hurt left for a curriculum director role at Indian Prairie District 204 after the typical hiring window had closed.
At Sandburg Middle School, Michael Boraz stepped in as interim principal after the board approved his appointment July 14. Boraz is retiring from Chicago Public Schools, where he oversaw 28 schools as a Network Chief. Former assistant principal Jeff Gail was also hired for 50 days at $525 per day to help with the transition after principal Joshua Louis departed in May for another job.
Board member Courtenae Trautmann acknowledged the community's unease at the July 14 meeting, saying the situation "provides angst in our community about what it looks like," but added she felt "super strongly" that the hires offered the best stability given the circumstances.
Emerson Elementary families have a permanent new leader: Jill Zapata, previously assistant principal at Fischer Elementary, was approved by the board April 21 and started July 1. Under her leadership at Fischer, math and literacy achievement each rose 14 percent.
Salary gap and budget backdrop
Illinois State Board of Education data published Aug. 13 by the DuPage Policy Journal shows D205 administrators averaged $130,801 in 2024-25, 32.4 percent more than the average teacher salary of $98,766. The board approved a 2.7 percent administrator raise and a 3 percent increase for non-union hourly staff for 2026-27 at its May 19 meeting.
As we reported Aug. 14, the gap has drawn attention heading into budget season. The board reviewed a tentative fiscal year 2026 budget at its July 28 session and is expected to continue budget-related action Wednesday.
How to weigh in
Parents and residents can address the board by filling out a request form and handing it to the board president before the discussion period. Comments are limited to two minutes per person, with a 20-minute cap on any single topic and a 30-minute overall limit.
The Aug. 19 meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. at 162 S. York St., Elmhurst.
