Sycamore CUSD 427 board approves superintendent contract, calendars and several consent items
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Summary
The Sycamore CUSD 427 Board of Education voted unanimously to approve the superintendent employment contract and multiple calendar and consent items, and approved a new middle-school 0-hour Spanish offering; the meeting also advanced curriculum review work for K–5 ELA.
The Sycamore CUSD 427 Board of Education on Feb. 3 approved the district superintendent employment contract, confirmed revisions to the board meeting calendar and passed routine and NIA consent agendas, the board said.
The board moved and approved the superintendent employment contract after members described a consultant-led search, stakeholder interviews and an extensive vetting process. A board member summarized the search, saying: "They helped us do a lot of workshops to get a lot of stakeholder feedback … the slate they brought us was really impressive," and the motion carried on a roll call vote with all members present voting in the affirmative. The incoming superintendent was referred to in the meeting only by the first name "Kristen." The board said a formal statement would be issued about the hire.
The board also approved the district calendar (second reading) for the 2026–27 year, standardizing early dismissals to half days rather than two-hour early releases and moving regular meeting start times to 6 p.m. to align with the superintendent transition. The board approved a revised meeting schedule that adds a February 10 LTC-focused meeting and converts a March 31 workshop into a regular board meeting.
In addition, the board approved the district and NIA consent agendas, which the chair read aloud and described as covering minutes, bills payable, nonroutine contracts over $35,000, personnel items, gifts and donations, and audit procedures. The chair solicited motions for the consent items and the board approved them by roll call.
The board also approved an updated superintendent evaluation protocol that adds an explicit evaluation of adherence to essential duties and responsibilities outlined in the superintendent job description; the board described the change as a minor, policy-aligned tweak and approved it by roll call.
Separately, the board approved a middle-school 0-hour Spanish proposal recommended by the Learning & Teaching Committee (LTC). Board members praised student interest and teacher coordination for the offering.
No monetary terms of the superintendent contract or other contract-dollar specifics were read into the record at length during the public meeting transcript. The board moved into executive session at the end of the regular agenda under 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(1),(2),(11) to discuss personnel, collective bargaining and litigation matters.
The board meeting also included several non-action items on curriculum, including a first reading of the Amplify CKLA (third edition) K–5 ELA resource; members were invited to review materials during the public inspection period and the LTC will continue discussion on Feb. 10.
What happens next: the board said a formal announcement about the superintendent hire will be issued and LTC will continue curriculum review at the February 10 meeting.