York High To Get Interim Principal; Current Leader Leaving

ELMHURST, IL – Elmhurst School District 205 was given a tight window to fill the principal's position at York High School.

At Tuesday's school board meeting, Superintendent Keisha Campbell announced that the district would hire an interim principal at York to allow for a comprehensive search for a leader.

On April 6, the board for Aurora-based Indian Prairie School District 204 voted to hire Jessica Hurt, York's principal for the last three years, as the new director of high school curriculum. She starts July 1.

That gave District 205 86 days to hire a new principal.

Hurt's predecessor, Shahe Bagdasarian, was hired in December 2022 to become superintendent of Oak Lawn High School. That time, the district had 212 days' lead time.

With the hiring season for school administrators largely over, the pool of candidates would likely be smaller.

In her statement Tuesday, Campbell did not name Hurt.

"We are working to identify an interim principal leader that we would bring before the board of education for the upcoming school year," Campbell said. "This would allow us to conduct a comprehensive, inclusive search for the next York principal beginning in the fall."

The principal's position – permanent or interim – is not listed in the "job opportunities" section of the district's website.

York has not seen the test gains of its local elementary and middle school counterparts over the last few years.

Last year, York students more than held their own against area districts that are considered demographically similar.

Going to the new district, Hurt will get less compensation, according to public records.