Seventy new District 205 educators were welcomed Wednesday, Aug. 5, alongside Elmhurst business owners and community leaders at York Community High School for a tradition now in its 36th year.

The Elmhurst Chamber of Commerce & Industry hosted its annual New Teachers Welcome from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., pairing the district's newest hires with the local business community over a lunch sponsored by Chick-fil-A Elmhurst. Each teacher left with a gift bag filled with gift cards, local offers and resources to help them feel at home in Elmhurst, all donated by ECCI members and partners.

The luncheon, organized in partnership with D205's New Educator Academy, is separate from the district's own orientation held Tuesday, Aug. 4. Where the district event focused on curriculum and logistics, the Chamber reception introduced teachers to the town itself.

The ECCI noted in its call for gift-bag donations that many of the new hires are new to town, positioning member businesses as among the first local connections they'll make.

ECCI President and CEO Jennifer Veremis, an Elmhurst resident who has led the Chamber since January 2025, organized this year's edition. Community members and businesses could attend for $40; the gift-bag donation deadline was July 31.

A year of leadership change

The 70 new educators arrive during an unusual transition for D205. As we reported Wednesday, both York and Sandburg Middle School will open the 2026-27 school year under interim principals. At York, co-interim principals Dr. Linda Yonke and Stephan Bild started July 1. At Sandburg, interim principal Michael Boraz was approved at the board's July 14 meeting.

Board member Courtenae Trautmann acknowledged the community's unease at that July 14 meeting. "It provides angst in our community about what it looks like," she said, but added she felt strongly that the interim hires were the best scenario for stability.

What's next

Students return to D205 classrooms Thursday, Aug. 13, giving the new teachers just over a week to settle in. The Chamber's 36th annual welcome dates the partnership between ECCI and District 205 to 1990.