Four schools in Indian Prairie School District 204 will have new principals before the start of next school year, following appointments the school board approved during its meeting Monday night.
Prairie Children Preschool, May Watts Elementary, Spring Brook Elementary and Metea Valley High School will all have fresh faces in the principal’s office come July 1.
School board members unanimously approved all of the new administrators, and Superintendent Adrian Talley provided brief introductions of each to the community.
Prairie Children Preschool
Erin Alexander is set to be the new principal of the district’s early learning center to replace retiring principal Sally Osborne.
Alexander has served as principal of Addison Early Learning Center since 2014. Talley said her background also includes time as an assistant principal in Plainfield, a department chairwoman and a music teacher.
“I’m thrilled to be here and join the 204 community,” Alexander said. “I’ve worked in early learning for a long time, and so I’m happy to continue the work here, building strong foundations for our youngest learners.”
May Watts Elementary
May Watts has been under the leadership of interim co-principals Kimberly Stephens and Robin Bruebach, but the school is set to have one permanent administrator in the role come this summer.
Elizabeth Schwaegler will take on the principal’s post in the district where her husband is a longtime orchestra director and her four children attend school.
“We are an Indian Prairie family, and so I feel like I’m being welcomed home,” Schwaegler said.
Talley said Schwaegler comes to the district from her role as an elementary principal in Troy District 30C in the Plainfield/Shorewood area. She has also worked as an assistant principal, a district math facilitator and a middle-school math teacher.
Spring Brook Elementary
Amanda Adams is the district’s choice to replace retiring Spring Brook Elementary principal David Worst, who has held the role for more than 15 years. Adams is switching to the principal’s spot at Spring Brook from her current job in-district as an assistant principal at Granger Middle School. She also previously worked at Spring Brook as student services coordinator, Talley said.
After Adams’ interview with Talley last week, he said she had a baby over the weekend — which was the only reason she wasn’t present at Monday’s meeting to hear of her appointment in person. Her background also includes time teaching third grade and English as a second language.
Metea Valley High School
Metea Valley’s current principal Daniel DeBruycker is leaving at the end of the year, Talley said, and his successor will be Sara Jennings.
Talley said Jennings will transition into District 204 from her role as assistant principal for teaching and learning at DeKalb High School. She also has experience as a Spanish teacher and an assistant principal for student services and operations.
“I really am very deeply honored to have been approved and appointed as Metea’s next principal,” Jennings said.
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