When Sandburg Middle School students walk through the doors on Thursday, August 13, they'll be greeted by a principal they've never met. So will students at York Community High School. Both of Elmhurst's largest secondary schools will start the year under interim leadership, an unusual situation that has stirred community concern.

The D205 Board of Education approved retired Chicago administrator Michael Boraz as Sandburg's interim principal at its Tuesday, July 15 meeting. The board also brought back Jeff Gail, who retired as Sandburg's assistant principal, for a 50-day stint through October at $525 per day to help Boraz and incoming assistant principal Brandi Greene get settled.

Board member Courtenae Trautmann acknowledged the unease those moves have stirred. "It provides angst in our community about what it looks like," Trautmann said at the July 15 meeting, referring to the pattern of interim appointments at both schools.

Trautmann said she felt "super strongly" that interim hires were the right call, arguing they would produce fewer problems than a rushed permanent search.

Why the vacancies

Sandburg's principal, Joshua Louis, told the district in May he was leaving for a principal job elsewhere. His departure came after the typical hiring window for administrators had closed. Superintendent Dr. Keisha Campbell told the board the district searched for a permanent replacement but could not find the right candidate.

At York, principal Jessica Hurt left to become director of high school curriculum at Indian Prairie School District 204, effective Wednesday, July 1. The board approved co-interim principals Dr. Linda Yonke and Stephan Bild at a special meeting on Tuesday, May 6, by a 6-0 vote. Yonke earns $1,300 per day; Bild earns $1,100 per day.

Board member Brian Bresnahan raised a pointed concern about York: the school's freshmen and sophomores will experience three leadership teams in four years.

Who's stepping in

Boraz spent nine years as principal of Lincoln Park High School in Chicago before becoming a Network Chief of Schools overseeing 28 campuses. Because Chicago Public Schools educators are in a separate pension system from the Illinois Teachers' Retirement System, he faces no cap on hours worked in suburban districts. His salary at Sandburg has not been disclosed, unlike the per-day rates approved for the other interim hires.

Gail is limited to 120 days under TRS rules but will serve only 50.

At York, Yonke previously served as the school's principal from 1998 to 2004 and later led New Trier Township High School District 203 as superintendent for 11 years. Bild has more than 50 years in education and has served as interim principal at Glenbrook North and Lake Zurich high schools.

What's next

Campbell said at the May 6 meeting that the district plans to conduct a full search for a permanent York principal beginning in fall 2026, with a target start date of Thursday, July 1, 2027. The district has not announced a timeline for a permanent Sandburg search.