DeKalb School District 428 has announced plans to host another superintendent search community listening session.

The community is invited to participate in the district’s second listening session from 1 to 2 p.m. on Nov. 8, this time at Mitchell Elementary School, 1240 Normal Road.

An initial listening session was held on Oct. 20 to aid efforts to build a leadership profile and priorities for the district’s next top education official, according to a news release.

The search comes after Superintendent Minerva Garcia-Sanchez decided not to seek renewal of her contract, which will end on June 30, 2026.

The school board took its first steps to initiate a search for a new superintendent on Oct. 1, with the opening of a community survey and a message to staff and families, according to the release.

Anyone who lives within the district’s boundaries is welcome to attend the listening session.

The district encourages those interested in attending to submit questions ahead of time, according to the release. The question submittal form will close at 3 p.m. Nov. 5. If time allows, participants may ask questions in person.

The district also has released results from the community survey, which closed Oct. 15. Information gathered will help inform the creation of a job posting.

The survey saw nearly 500 participants. The largest groups included parents of current District 428 students at 44.1%, teachers at 43.4%, alumni at 10.9%, and the district’s taxpayers who do not have children enrolled in the schools at 10.1%, according to the data.

Listed among top priorities from those who filled out the survey are: ensuring a sense of student and staff safety at 38.6%, becoming an active and approachable presence in the schools and community at 36.8%, and retaining and recruiting staff at 23.1%, according to the data.

Respondents to the survey indicated that among the most important issues or concerns facing the district are recruitment and retention of staff at 42.7%, student academic achievement at 42.5%, and meeting the needs of an increasingly diverse population at 41.6%, according to the data.

Candidate selection and interviews are expected to run from December through January 2026, according to the release.

A decision by the board announcing the finalist for the job is anticipated no later than March 17, 2026.