North Palos School District 117 is thrilled to announce that Mrs. Christine Droba will become the next North Palos School District 117 Superintendent of Schools beginning July 1, 2024.
The Board of Education selected Christine to fill this position following Dr. Jeannie Stachowiak’s retirement at the end of the 2023-2024 school year. Dr. Stachowiak will be retiring from NPD117 after 21 years in the district; 13 as Superintendent. When asked how she felt about the Board’s decision, Dr. Stachowiak shared, “I cannot think of anyone better suited to take over as Superintendent. Christine is smart, passionate, and driven. She focuses on the right things and creates and maintains collaborative relationships with students, staff, parents, and our learning community. Under her leadership, NPD117 will continue to provide our students with outstanding learning experiences. I will miss NPD117 so much, but I feel great about who will be leading the district in my place.”
After graduating as valedictorian of Mother McAuley High School, Christine headed to Nashville, Tennessee to study elementary education at Vanderbilt University. Shortly after graduating, she was hired as a classroom teacher in North Palos School District 117, and then as the Fast Track (Honors) Math teacher, where her students were highly successful. Behind-the-scenes, Christine helped to improve and refine the math curriculum. When the Curriculum Team Leader position became available, she was the natural choice to join that team. As Team Leader, she worked closely with the building and district leadership teams, the Oak Ridge staff, and the Team Leaders from the other four schools. Her strong leadership ability and content knowledge earned her the position of Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning in 2019. Under her leadership, the district won its fourth National Blue Ribbon and continues to perform in the top 10% of school districts in the State.
Christine is completing her doctorate in educational leadership from University of St. Francis. She also received a master’s degree in educational leadership from Concordia University, and a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from Olivet Nazarene University.
When Christine learned that the Board of Education had selected her as its new superintendent, she said, “I am honored to have been selected for this role. District 117 is a special place because the Board of Education promotes high expectations, staff members work hard to ensure that students are successful, and families are highly supportive. I could not be more excited to work with the Board of Education, staff, families, and community to ensure that North Palos continues to provide a high-quality education to all of our students.”
After the unanimous vote, the Board members expressed their excitement. Dr. Tom Kostes, Board President, stated, “During her interview, we knew Christine was the right person for the job. She knows the district and has great relationships with the staff, parents, and the Board. All of her skills, especially her strong communication skills, are excellent which is very important to our Board.”
Christine will continue her work as the Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning and work closely with Dr. Stachowiak to prepare to take over on July 1. This will provide Christine the opportunity to make a smooth transition into the position of superintendent and provide the time necessary to secure her replacement and be ready for the FY25 school year.
A reception will be held at 6:00 P.M. on December 12, 2023 at the Dr. Ken Geraghty Administration Center (7825 West 103rd Street, Palos Hills). All are welcome to attend to congratulate Mrs. Christine Droba on her appointment as Superintendent of Schools.