Hinsdale D86 Superintendent Pick Revealed

HINSDALE, IL – Hinsdale High School District 86 on Thursday revealed the school board's choice for superintendent.

The board is set to vote Wednesday on Chip Pettit, superintendent of Duneland School Corp. in northwest Indiana, as the district's new leader, starting July 1.

With 5,700 students, Duneland is a public school district based in Chesterton, Indiana, which is often considered a Chicago suburb.

According to Pettit's proposed three-year contract, his salary will be $300,000, with annual raises at the rate of inflation. His pay will be above the $255,000 that the current superintendent, Michael Lach, made last school year.

At Duneland, where Pettit has worked since 2019, he made $194,142 in 2025, according to the GovSalaries.com website.

His District 86 contract calls for him to receive a $1,000 monthly car allowance. But if he becomes a district resident during his contract, the allowance would end, with his base salary increasing by $15,000.

At Duneland, Pettit is responsible for elementary and middle schools as well as one high school. District 86, with about 4,000 students, consists of two high schools and a transition center.

District 86's population is wealthier than Duneland's, with the local median household income at $126,000 to Duneland's $89,000.

Late last summer, Superintendent Lach announced he would retire June 30, a year before his three-year contract expires.

In the last 2½ years, the district has seen much turnover in its administration. In that time, seven people have served in the role of superintendent. Five of them were interim leaders.

According to a district statement, Pettit has significantly increased student performance and carried out a major building improvement plan at Duneland.

Pettit, who holds a doctorate, was recognized as the 2026 Indiana Association of Public Schools District 1 Superintendent of the Year.

Before taking the helm at Duneland, Pettit was the principal of Crown Point High School in northwestern Indiana for seven years. Nearly 3,000 students attend the school.

He has also been a teacher.

The board's interviews of superintendent finalists have been behind closed doors.

Under state law, the school board is allowed to keep the names of superintendent finalists under wraps. Most Illinois boards choose secrecy.

In some states, school boards are required to publicly release superintendent finalists' names.