D113A Superintendent Leaving At End Of School Year

LEMONT, IL — District 113A superintendent Dr. Courtney Orzel has announced she will be leaving her position at the end of the current school year. In a letter to parents and the community, Orzel said she has been chosen as the new Associate Director of Professional Development for the Illinois Association of School Administrators.

Orzel has served as superintendent for D113A for six years. While she has served as superintendent, the district has recovered from a financial crisis; band, choir, foreign language and elementary art programs have been restored; a 1:1 technology program has been launched; and new programming and extracurricular opportunities have been added.

"It is with a heavy, yet grateful heart that I announce that I will be leaving SD113A at the end of the school year. Lemont has been my home for six years, and I have grown and learned more than I could have imagined," Orzel said in the letter. "I never would have left Lemont to pursue another superintendency, and I am proud to have been part of one of the best comeback stories in the state, if not the country."

Orzel added that her new position is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

"Lemont SD113A students, board of education, staff, parents and community are the best of the best, and I am grateful to have had a small part in their success over the years," she said. "There are few words I have to express my gratitude to the community of Lemont for the opportunity they gave me over the last six years. I will always be thankful for this time and know that I will leave with the same commitment, drive and conviction for this work as when I started here six years ago."

"While the board of education is sad to see Dr. Orzel leave our district, we are grateful for the tremendous impact she has had on our schools and community these past six years," board president Damon Ascolani said in the letter. "Dr. Orzel is a nationally recognized talent, a role model for women in senior leadership positions in education, and has been our district’s greatest champion locally, statewide, and nationally. She has not only been a stellar manager of the day to day operations of the district, she has brought a new energy to the staff and students and a sense of pride that can be felt when you walk into any of our schools. Dr. Orzel has been an ambassador for our district in every sense of the word and she will be missed. While her exit in June of next year will be bittersweet, the board is glad that she is able to extend her talents to the state level and wish her all the best in her new role.”

The board and Orzel have developed a transition plan and the board will begin to search for a new superintendent starting in December.