New Principal, 2 Assistant Principals Approved by Plainfield School Board

PLAINFIELD, IL -- The District 202 Board of Education on Monday approved hiring a new middle school principal and two new elementary school assistant principals for the 2017-18 school year. John F. Kennedy Middle School Assistant Principal John Evans will be the new principal at Indian Trail Middle School this fall.

He will replace Dr. Christian Rivara, who was named the new principal at Aux Sable Middle School earlier this spring. Rivara has been serving as Aux Sable’s acting principal this semester.

Evans is a 20-year veteran educator. He started his career in 1997 as a mathematics teacher at Elmwood Park High School.

A year later, he taught math at Batavia High School, before taking a math teaching position at Yorkville High School in 1999. In 2002, Evans took a position as a mathematics teacher at Glenbard North High School.

He came to District 202 in 2010 in his current role.

“I am excited and humbled to be selected as the next Principal at Indian Trail Middle School and join the Indian Trail family, and to support the Indian Trail staff, students, parents and community,” Evans said.

“Mr. Evans has a wide variety of professional experiences, all of which will benefit the students and staff at Indian Trail,” Jennifer Orlos, director of middle school administration and personnel. “He will be a great addition to the Indian Trail community.”

The Board also approved hiring Naperville District 203 Assistant Director of Student Services Lori Cole as the new assistant principal at Liberty Elementary School. She will replace Jeff Peterson.

Cole started her education career in 2007 as a special education teacher with the Kendall County Special Education Cooperative. She served as a resource teacher from 2008-2010 in Evergreen Park Elementary School District 124.

From 2010-2014, Cole worked as a special education resource teacher at Troy Hofer Elementary School in Shorewood before taking her current position in Naperville in2014.

Finally, Plainfield East High School Dean of Students Cindy Castanon will be the new assistant principal at Lincoln Elementary School.

She will replace Dr. Debra Coberley, who was named the new principal at Wesmere Elementary School earlier this spring.

Castanon started her education career in 2009 as an English Language Learner teacher at Eagle Pointe Elementary School. She served five years in that role before becoming a dean at PEHS in 2014.

Submitted by District 202