Terri Bresnahan
Elk Grove Township Elementary District 59 school board members have launched a search for their next superintendent after Terri Bresnahan announced this school year will be her last.
The board has retained Libertyville-based search firm BWP & Associates to help identify and select a new superintendent, who would be in place for the start of the 2026-27 school year.
The leadership change in the Elk Grove Village-based prekindergarten through eighth-grade district isn’t unexpected, after a slate of candidates that formed in opposition to Bresnahan’s equity plan was swept into office after the April 2023 election.
The month before, the old board inked a contract extension with Bresnahan, keeping her in the role until June 2026.
Three months before that, board members rejected Bresnahan’s proposal that would have reconfigured elementary schools into grade-level centers, redistricted some areas, and repurposed the year-round Ridge Family Center for Learning into a preschool.
“Through collaborative leadership and some really difficult but honest conversations, we acknowledged the inequities that exist, and we took deliberate steps to address them,” Bresnahan said at a board meeting earlier this month, reflecting on her tenure.
“Under the direction of the board, I brought forward a recommendation to remove barriers, improve access, balance class sizes, and build the stability that is truly needed for students and staff to thrive,” she continued. “And while I fully admit that not all of those solutions came to fruition, we have continued that work internally, and the academic, social and emotional growth that we see in our students today is a direct result of this sustained effort.”
Bresnahan took the helm in July 2021 after the departure of Art Fessler, who faced significant community opposition for curriculum changes. She said she believes the district’s curriculum today is “more aligned, rigorous, supportive and reflective of our students.”
She said her commitment to the job remains strong, and she vowed to ensure a smooth transition to the next leader.
“This transition — it comes with the role — and it’s a natural part of leadership,” she said. “It is a time for me to reflect, to reset and to plan ahead, as it is for the district, and I fully support the board’s decision to begin this process with intention.”
The board will pay BWP a $18,900 fee plus $1,500 in expenses to conduct the search, which will include development of a leadership profile, advertisement of the vacancy in regional and national publications, active recruitment of candidates, initial interviews and reference checks.
The search will be led by consultants Mark Friedman, a former Libertyville Elementary District 70 superintendent, and Joe Porto, former superintendent in Wilmette-based Avoca Elementary District 37.
The board plans to hire a superintendent by March, but the firm would conduct a new search for free if the selected candidate resigns or is terminated within a year, according to a letter of understanding approved earlier this month.
District 59 has 11 elementary schools, three junior high schools and an early learning center covering an area that includes portions of Arlington Heights, Des Plaines, Elk Grove Village and Mount Prospect.
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