Hinsdale D86 Leader Not Around, Duties Limited

HINSDALE, IL – Hinsdale High School District 86's superintendent is working remotely four days a week and no longer working together with other top officials, according to an internal message.

In a Feb. 6 email titled "Moving Forward," the school board's president, Catherine Greenspon, set the parameters for Superintendent Michael Lach's work.

The email was addressed to the district's two principals and other top officials, known as the "cabinet."

Michael Lach, who is retiring June 30 after two years, is only working in the office on Thursdays, Greenspon said.

"We ask that Cabinet, Academic Cabinet and Operations Cabinet continue your work together," Greenspon said. "Superintendent Lach will no longer be participating."

She said incoming Superintendent Chip Pettit, who starts July 1, "will be incorporated as appropriate."

Greenspon identified two duties for Lach:

• Finalizing grants with two district officials
• Finalizing in-progress employee valuations

Lach makes $264,000 a year.

In her email, Greenspon noted that the board had approved a contract for Pettit two days earlier. In light of that, she said the adjustments regarding Lach needed to be made.

Reached by phone Tuesday, Lach declined to comment.

In a phone interview, Greenspon said Lach is the current superintendent.

"He is leading the district as appropriate," she said. "I wish Dr. Lach all the best in the future, and I'm looking forward to Dr. Pettit joining the district full time."

Over the last month, Patch has written two stories about Lach's fading from public view.

Meeting minutes show that he stopped attending the school board's committee sessions in October, while he had shown up for nearly all of them before that. He still attends board meetings.

The board's meeting two weeks ago shows how much Lach has been sidelined. His superintendent's report, which used to last more than 10 minutes, took less than a minute and a half.

Some of the year's most consequential debates, particularly about staffing, took place at the meeting. Lach never weighed in.

Pettit was mentioned 11 times during the meeting. Lach was noted just once, which was when board President Greenspon referred to Lach's comments on spring break.

Last August, Lach announced his retirement, a year early under his three-year contract.

With Greenspon's permission, Pettit, a superintendent in Indiana, can work on certain issues before he arrives. He makes $1,267 a day.

Over the last few years, District 86 has seen a lot more administrative turnover than most of its counterparts.