Details still sparse on Sycamore school district, superintendent split

On the same day Sycamore School District 427 officials formally cut the ribbon on the district’s new administration building, board President Michael DeVito said he couldn’t say much about why he voted to place the district’s top employee on paid leave.

On Aug. 1, DeVito and five other school board members voted for the district to enter into an amended contract with former District 427 Superintendent Steve Wilder. The separation is effective in March 2026, although Wilder is no longer working at the district, officials confirmed.

During a special board meeting, DeVito said Wilder and the school board had reached a mutual agreement to begin a transition in leadership. When asked by Shaw Local News Network why the district made that decision – which comes weeks before the start of the school year – DeVito referred to the original statement that the board made when the plan was approved.

“The why part – so, I have to refer you back to the statement from the board regarding our decision to mutually separate from Steve for the reason why,” DeVito said.

The board’s statement and the contract amendment can be found on the district’s website. The statement does not specifically say why the decision was made.

“All I can say is that the agreement was mutual,” Wilder said when reached Wednesday.

Those documents show that Wilder agreed to be placed on paid administrative leave as of the signing of the separation agreement and to voluntarily resign from his employment as a licensed administrator with the district at the end of the business day March 31, 2026.

DeVito said he’s sharing as much as he can with the public about the decision.

“It’s important to know that the board prioritizes the needs of our students in our district, and we want to make sure that in this hard transition, we are being as transparent as we possibly can without compromising the integrity of our ability to negotiate effective agreements,” DeVito said. “That is just of paramount importance to the board.”

In a 6-0 vote, with Vice President Christian Copple absent, the school board agreed to pay Wilder a prorated annual salary of $239,362 while he’s on leave, according to the agreement. The board also agreed not to terminate his contract for cause or permanent disability, and that Wilder can conduct professional work outside of the district once the agreement is executed, documents show.

In the separation document, Wilder and the district agreed that nothing in the document is an admission of liability or violation of any law, contract, policy or agreement by the district or Wilder, records show. Both parties also agreed to a “mutual nondisparagement clause,” which prohibits them from making negative or unfavorable statements, comments or references that imply liability, disparage the other party, their reputation or standing in the community, according to district documents.

Former Sycamore school board member Eric Jones, who lost a reelection campaign in April, said in a provided statement that he thinks Wilder’s separation from the district “leaves a void that will be difficult to fill.” Jones said he saw Wilder substitute teach and drive a school bus over the course of the five years he spent as the district’s superintendent.

“Steve’s leadership was always people-first, prioritizing the well-being of our students and staff above all else,” Jones wrote. “It is with deep sadness that we see him depart, particularly without the customary recognition and farewell he deserves.”

After the special meeting Friday, board members Cole Regnery, Heather Tomlinson and Beth Marie Evans declined to comment on why they had agreed to the separation agreement. They referred comment back to the school board president.

While DeVito also declined to fully explain the rationale behind the board’s agreement with Wilder, he did discuss the current leadership in the district’s new administrative center, where the Sycamore Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon-cutting Tuesday.

Nicholas Reineck, assistant superintendent for human resources and educational programs, has been named acting superintendent. DeVito said he’s working to officially install an interim superintendent.

“The difference between an active and an interim is that in an active superintendent, it follows the succession of authority,” DeVito said. “The next natural step would be for the board to select an interim superintendent for the time between now and when we are able to bring on a full-time superintendent.”

DeVito said Wilder presented the school board with a plan in 2024 that outlined Reineck as the administrator who would take on the active superintendent role in the event Wilder was no longer performing the duties of the job.

DeVito said he hopes the person they hire as superintendent will use the thoughts and perspectives of the district’s community to form their recommendations for future district policies.

“We want the next hire to incorporate input from students, teachers, the administration and the 427 community,” DeVito said. “It needs to truly be indicative of what those stakeholders would like. And we hope to engage a firm very shortly who can deliver results and take that in mind.”