Two New Principals Join District 300 Schools

Two District 300 schools will get new principals this coming school year. 

The District 300 School Board approved the selection of the new principals at Lincoln Prairie Elementary School in Lake in the Hills and Parkview Elementary School in Carpentersville effective July 15. 

Mark Wetzel, currently an assistant principal Hampshire Middle School, will serve as the principal at Lincoln Prairie Elementary School in Lake in the Hills.  

Wetzel began his career in 2004 as an 8th grade literacy and social studies teacher at Westfield Community School. During his time as a teacher at Westfield, Wetzel was also a team leader, the middle school literacy leader and a member of the District 300 Social Studies Subject Area Committee.  

In 2011, he moved into the role of assistant principal at Westfield, where he remained until June of 2014. 

As an assistant principal, Wetzel facilitated the implementation of Compass Learning, an internet learning tool that provides dynamic instruction at each learner’s unique developmental level, to enhance student skills in the areas of mathematics and reading.  

Wetzel also directed the AVID Foundations for Accelerated Mathematics summer program for District 300 middle school AVID students, developed a district-wide set of guidelines for student placement in the areas of mathematics and literacy, and was an active member of the District 300 Middle School Scheduling Committee.  

He earned a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a Master’s degree from Roosevelt University, and an Administrative Certificate from Aurora University. 

He and his wife, Christy, have three children, Eva, Zoe, and Seth, all under the age of five years old. 

Jorge Almodovar, currently the Title I Facilitator for the district, will become the principal of Parkview Elementary School in Carpentersville. 

He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education in Biology from the University of Puerto Rico, his Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the American University of Puerto Rico, and his Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from the American College of Education in Illinois.  

Almodovar taught elementary, middle and high school classes for three years at Caribbean School in Ponce, Puerto Rico.  In 2007, Mr. Almodovar and his wife moved to Illinois after he was recruited by District 300 to teach at Dundee-Crown High School as an ESL/Bilingual Biology and AVID Teacher.   

He was promoted to the Dean of Students position in 2011, which he held through 2012, when he became the Title I Facilitator for District 300.  Mr. Almodovar’s passion for education stems from his family, where both his mother and brother are teachers.  He and his wife have three sons; Evan 5, Enrique 2, and Alexander 6 months.