The Sycamore School District 427 administrator tasked with filling in for former Superintendent Steve Wilder will retain that role through the school year, the district announced Wednesday.

Nick Reineck, assistant superintendent for human resources and educational programs, has been the district’s acting superintendent since Aug. 1, after the school board and Wilder parted ways. Officials have said the departure was a mutual decision, although few details have been shared publicly.

Reineck was appointed by a unanimous school board vote Tuesday as part of the district’s existing succession plan.

In a statement, Reineck said he was honored to serve the Sycamore community, which he has called home for more than a decade. His children also attend Sycamore schools.

“That gives me both personal and professional commitment to serving our students, staff and families,” Reineck said in the statement. “We have an incredible community, and I look forward to working together to ensure stability during this transition while continuing to empower all learners to succeed in their world.”

Meanwhile, the school board has hired a national firm to guide the district’s search for a new superintendent. Reineck is expected to be the district’s interim superintendent until the position is permanently filled on or before July 1, 2026, according to the information sent to Sycamore families Wednesday.

While still the acting superintendent, Reineck said he and the assistant superintendent for business services, Nicole Stuckert, spent the first day of school checking on every building in the district.

“There’s so much excitement in the buildings,” Reineck said. “We’re fortunate enough to get in every building. Nicole had to wrangle me a little bit because I wanted to go into every classroom. So I said, ‘No, we’ve got time, we’ll go into every single classroom in the district.’ That took a long time, but it was a ton of fun.”