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Parents, former volunteers press Sycamore board over leadership departures and transparency
Summary
Public commenters and speakers at the Sycamore Community City school board meeting said repeated administrative departures and high legal spending have eroded trust; the board heard requests for better oversight, exit interviews, and human-resources support.
Public speakers at Sycamore Community City’s school board meeting on June 30 pressed members to explain recent leadership departures and to increase oversight and transparency.
Ashley Boymel, a Sycamore graduate and parent, said students and families were deeply affected by the departure of a longtime school leader she named as Ashwin, describing him as someone who “knew all 418 students by name.” Boymel said the exits are more than staffing churn and asked whether the board is misleading the community or being misled. “That kind of connection matters,” she said, and urged the board to examine what is pushing committed leaders to leave.
Tammy Commerford, who helped lead a successful 2016 levy campaign, told the board she was worried about the district’s direction and cited what she described as rising legal costs. She said the district’s legal fees averaged $238,000 from 2019–2023, rose to $369,000 in the first year under the current board, and — citing district records she reviewed — were $588,000 in 2025. “The leadership of this board over the last two years has divided this community,” she said.
Board members responded by noting existing procedures: the administration said it contracts with a third party to conduct exit interviews for administrators and that results would be shared with the board. One member raised the idea of outside human-resources support to provide separation and independent review of personnel and hiring processes.
The discussion did not produce a new board action beyond those already on the agenda, but several trustees signaled interest in reviewing retention data and exit-interview findings at a future meeting. The board also approved a personnel consent agenda that included an interim one-year contract for an assistant principal, Eric Muchmore, and a new "student success supervisor" role; that personnel consent passed with recorded 'Aye' votes from Mister Harris, Mister Ballant, and Doctor James and recorded 'No' votes from Doctor Steger and Missus Bitter.
What’s next: Trustees said they will receive exit-interview summaries and continue monitoring turnover; members suggested follow-up at the next board meeting to discuss retention and HR supports.
