Sycamore District 427 Superintendent Kristen Campbell said on Monday that she advocated for new administrator positions – four new roles totaling $501,500 in combined salaries – to support students and staff.

In recent weeks, four new administrative positions have been created by the Sycamore school board at Campbell’s request.

“The purpose of this restructuring is to create a more efficient and sustainable leadership model that better supports our students and staff - not simply to add positions,” Campbell said in a statement to Shaw Local.

Specifically, how the district will pay for the new hires has not been completely answered. When asked on June 19, Board President Michael DeVito referenced the district’s $14 million reserve fund, saying it is fully available for operating use.

Campbell described the organizational change as “leadership structure enhancements” that will align with the board’s goals, strengthen accountability and improve the efficiency of the district’s operations.

“These changes streamline leadership responsibilities and ensure financial and operational resources are utilized strategically to maximize support for students and staff,” Campbell said.

In light of these hires, Lynnae Ihm, the head of the Sycamore Education Association, said on Monday that the union aims to make sure the new positions support students, staff and the educational environment.

“We are hopeful that these additions will help address some of the concerns our members have consistently shared and will provide meaningful support to both teachers and building administrators,” Ihm wrote in an email to Shaw Local.

Ihm said that the teachers’ union has “consistently advocated for additional administrative support at the building level, particularly assistant principal positions.”

“For many years, our members have raised concerns regarding student behavior, increasing student needs, staff support, and the growing responsibilities placed on building administrators,” Ihm wrote.

Campbell became District 427’s superintendent on March 1 after a nationwide search to fill the position began following a mutual decision by the school board and former superintendent Steve Wilder to part ways weeks before the 2025-2026 school year began. Seventy-three days after her employment began with Sycamore schools, Campbell proposed reorganizing the district’s administrative structure.

Days after the meeting, DeVito told Shaw Local that the board didn’t take any action regarding Campbell’s recommendation. However, district documents show that the school board came to an informal consensus in agreement with Campbell’s proposed changes, allowing applications for the new jobs to be posted online.

“As the demands placed on public schools continue to increase, these changes provide clearer accountability and increased transparency, strengthen operational oversight, and help ensure taxpayer resources are managed responsibly while maintaining a strong focus on our students,” Campbell said.

The May 12 special school board meeting wasn’t the first time the board discussed the organizational changes, Campbell said.

“The restructuring was developed over several months and informed by ongoing discussions regarding district operations and long-term financial planning,” Campbell said. “Elements of the proposal had been discussed with school board members through board and committee meetings, as well as administrative updates.”

As part of the restructuring, Campbell proposed two new assistant principal positions – one at West Elementary School and the other at North Grove Elementary School.

The structure changes the district is now implementing are designed to provide equal learning opportunities across the district while having measurable accountability to the school board, Campbell said.

Documents show that the board has requested updates on the efficacy of the new positions.

Ihm said that members of the Sycamore Education Association have shared feedback with her.

“As with any significant organizational change, staff will be looking for clear communication regarding responsibilities, expectations, and how these positions will contribute to improving the educational experience for students and working conditions for employees,” Ihm wrote.

Campbell said district officials have heard from community members throughout the process of deciding to restructure the school district’s administration.

“We recognize the need for clarity within our schools and about our decision-making,” Campbell said. “Starting this month, we are launching a brand-new Transparency Page on our district website. It will be designed to give our community clear answers and include a dedicated space for our community to share their questions with us.”