The Board of Education of Hinsdale Township High School District 86 on Aug. 26 accepted Superintendent Mike Locke’s written notice of retirement effective June 30, 2026, and directed administration to begin an expedited hiring process for the superintendent and other cabinet vacancies.

The board voted 7-0 to accept the retirement notice. The motion to accept was moved by Member Satchel and seconded by Member Mitra; the roll call recorded “Aye” votes from members present and the motion carried.

Board members said they want a rapid but transparent search. HR Committee Chair Member Mitra described three cabinet vacancies — superintendent, assistant superintendent for academics and chief information officer — and urged a fast, coordinated hiring cadence so a new superintendent could participate in final interviews for the assistant-superintendent role. Assistant Superintendent Bryant and HR staff said administration could manage an in-house search but that an external search firm would broaden candidate outreach and do targeted recruiting.

Some board members voiced reservations about paying for a search firm, noting the district completed a superintendent search recently and that internal work (surveys, profiles) already exists. Member Fisher said the board could rely on existing materials but acknowledged that firms can bring national networks. Member Waters and other members supported issuing an RFP so firms could respond, then bringing top firms to a public meeting for presentations.

The board directed Superintendent’s office staff, led by Liz and Mary and working with HR and the CFO, to draft and issue an RFP for superintendent-search firms, solicit proposals immediately, and return proposals to the board for evaluation. The board agreed the evaluation could include full-board scorecards and public presentations by finalist firms; the board also asked staff to consider fee structures and contract terms that could include partial payments and options for a repeat search if the initial placement fails.

On the assistant-superintendent position, board members debated whether to hire immediately. Some members said the district’s campus-level leaders perform strong instructional work and asked for a clarified job description before committing to a hire; others said central leadership for curriculum, assessment and alignment is an essential function and recommended starting recruitment now so an offer could be timed to begin with the new fiscal/school year. The board asked HR and administration to refine the assistant-superintendent job description and continue recruitment planning while leaving final hiring choices available to the incoming superintendent.

The board asked staff to prioritize the superintendent search, then sequence the assistant-superintendent and CIO searches so candidates could be signed for summer start dates. Members asked for frequent updates to minimize extra meetings and to ensure stakeholder input and legal review where needed.

No firm was selected on Aug. 26; the board’s direction was to issue an RFP and return with proposals and a proposed evaluation timeline for board action.