The principal of a La Grange School District elementary school will be Sycamore’s next director of learning and teaching for elementary school students.

Svetlana Popovic, who has more than 15 years of experience working in education leadership roles, will start her new job on July 1, after leaving her position as principal of Hodgkins Elementary School in southwest suburban Hodgkins.

In a news release announcing the hire, Sycamore Superintendent Kristen Campbell said she is excited to welcome Popovic into “the Sycamore family.”

“Her strong leadership, dedication to impactful teaching, and passion for student success make her the perfect fit for our community,” Campbell said in the release.

Popovic’s job was created out of a restructuring of the district’s administrative office. Starting the 2026-2027 school year, the district transformed the jobs of director of instructional technology and director of learning and teaching into the director of learning and teaching for elementary school students and another director for middle and high school students.

Phoebe Balentyne, the director of instructional technology, will become the director of learning and education for middle school and high school students, documents show. As of Tuesday, Michael Rice remains listed as the director of learning and teaching on the district’s website.

How much Popovic will be paid was not immediately disclosed to the public. The Sycamore school board approved her contract during a special board meeting on June 9. When Shaw Local asked about her salary on Tuesday, a district official said to expect the contract to be posted online on Wednesday.

Popovic is pursuing a doctoral degree in school leadership and already holds a Master of Education in Reading and an Educational Specialist degree in Administration and Supervision from National Louis University, according to the news release.

Popovic has also had numerous jobs working for and with school districts. Before her stint as principal of Hodgkins Elementary School, Popovic worked as a regional systems consultant and coach for Human Ventures, which partners with Midwest school districts to develop leadership and organizational culture, according to the news release.

She also worked as an assistant principal, literacy coach and reading specialist for Deerfield School District 109 and Kildeer Countryside Community Consolidated School District 96.

In the news release, Popovic said she is eager to begin.

“I’m excited to support, learn, and lead alongside so many dedicated educators and to create an environment where we can all thrive in Sycamore Community School District 427,” Popovic said.