District 205 Hires New Principal, Assistant Principal

ELMHURST, IL — The Elmhurst School District 205 board unanimously approved a new principal and a new assistant principal on Thursday evening.

A special board meeting was held to approve the two hires. The board was set to appoint the Jefferson principal last week, but the item was pulled at the last minute due to the district still needing to complete the onboarding process with the prospective candidate.

Out of the 61 applicants, the board approved Lori Sweeney as the new principal of Jefferson Elementary. Sweeney has nearly 20 years of experience as an educator. According to her LinkedIn profile, she has served as a kindergarten teacher in New York City, a principal at a UNO charter school in Chicago and most recently as an instructional support leader in the Chicago Public Schools system.

“We are honored that Mrs. Sweeney chose District 205 and I look forward to seeing the positive impact that she will make with our district and the success of our students, teachers and staff,” Superintendent Keisha Campbell said in a press release statement.

Sweeney holds a master’s degree in elementary education from Pace University in New York and an education specialist degree from National Louis University in Chicago. She will begin her position on July 2.

“I am thrilled to be joining the Jefferson community and Elmhurst District 205,” said Sweeney, according to the district’s press release.

The board also appointed Elizabeth McDonald as the new assistant principal for Edison and Field elementary schools. McDonald, currently an instructional coach at Bryan Middle School, has been with District 205 since 2005, according to Campbell.

“I am especially proud of the opportunity to see a leader that has continued to grow within our organization, now have an opportunity to have an even broader impact in her new role,” Campbell told the board.

“We like to see some of our own come up through the ranks, and I think it creates a good balance in our district,” Board President Kara Caforio said.

According to Campbell, McDonald has previously served as a general education teacher, science department chair, and team lead to the district’s interim K-12 math and science coordinator. McDonald holds a master’s degree in science and education, and educational administration from Concordia University in River Forest.