Hinsdale D86 May Pick 2nd In Command; Post Went Vacant Last Summer

HINSDALE, IL – Hinsdale High School District 86's board is expected to vote Thursday to fill a top position that went vacant last July.

The recommended candidate for assistant superintendent for academics is Josh McMahon. Now, he is the assistant superintendent for educational programs at Cicero-based J. Sterling Morton High School District 201.

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At District 86, McMahon is slated to get a two-year contract, with a $216,000 salary. As of last year, he made $207,000 in Cicero, according to public records.

District 86's assistant superintendent for academics is seen as the second in command.

The post has been a revolving door in recent years – Jason Markey from 2023 to 2025, Chris Covino from 2020 to 2023 and Carol Baker from 2018 to 2020.

Although Markey gave five months' notice, Superintendent Michael Lach did not put a name forward to the board until a few days before Markey's June 30, 2025, exit.

The board, however, did not act on Lach's recommendation. Members generally agreed that they wanted to interview two or three finalists behind closed doors.

By that point, though, the hiring window had closed because administrator candidates typically make job changes in the summer. That meant the board had to wait another year.

The incident added to tensions between Lach and the board. In August, Lach announced his retirement for the following summer, a year early on a three-year contract.

Since then, Lach's involvement in district operations has been reduced. He makes $264,000 a year.