Former Dixon Public Schools student returning in July as superintendent

A former student at Dixon Public Schools District 170, is returning in July as superintendent.

Melydi Huyett, current principal of Centennial Elementary School in Polo, will replace current DPS Superintendent Margo Empen, who retires July 1. Her three-year contract was unanimously approved by the school board Dec. 17.

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New Dixon Schools superintendent and current Polo Centennial School principal Melydi Huyett talks about the journey that brought her to the position Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025. Huyett will take over the position on July 1, 2026. (Alex T. Paschal)

“I want to be able to build upon the great things that they’re already doing in Dixon Public Schools, and really work on building those relationships. I’m not looking to go in and make major changes. I just want to do what I can to do what’s best for the students and the community,” Huyett told Shaw Local.

Huyett and her parents attended Dixon Public Schools, as did her husband, Matt Huyett, who now works for the city of Dixon. Now their kids are going to attend and graduate from DPS, Huyett said.

“We’re keeping the tradition alive,” Huyett said.

After Huyett graduated, she went to Sauk Valley Community College before transferring to Northern Illinois University. Through college, she commuted back and forth from Dixon because she was working for the city as an administrative assistant, Huyett said.

In 2006, after earning her degree in education, Huyett was hired by Polo Community Unit School District. She started as a second grade teacher before becoming a response-to-intervention coordinator and reading specialist, Huyett said.

From there, the district superintendent at the time, “came to me and said, ‘we have an opening in administration.’ And was wanting to know if I’d be interested in throwing my name in the hat,” Huyett said.

Being a school administrator wasn’t Huyett’s dream growing up, she said.

“It was just one of those things that, you know, you make relationships with people, and then they see something in you that you don’t normally see in yourself,” Huyett said. “So I decided, why not?”

She interviewed with the board of education and was hired on as principal at Centennial for preschool to fifth grade students. However, before becoming principal, she served as the dean of students for a year because she didn’t have the required degree and had to go back to school to get it.

Also, at the time, Huyett was pregnant with her daughter, and went on maternity leave when that first school year started, she said.

There’s “nothing like taking on a job and you’re like, ‘hey, do you want to hire me? I don’t have the certification and I’m very pregnant,’” Huyett joked.

She added that her daughter’s age provides the perfect cheat sheet for remembering how long she’s worked in school administration - 13 years.

“It’s been fast and furious, for sure, but I like the busyness,” Huyett said.

Her favorite part about the job is the people that she works with.

“They have a true love for kids and we work really well together to decide, like, what are the needs of our students, and how can we best help serve them?” Huyett said.

Another one of her favorite parts about it are the relationships with the students and their parents.

“They are a big part of helping students get to where they need to be,” Huyett said.

Deciding to make the move to Dixon, being from there was a huge factor, but mainly it was her husband, Huyett said.

“He comes home and he talks about all the great things that they’re doing in Dixon,” Huyett said, noting several recent developments in the city like the pedestrian bridge construction known as Project ROCK and the major economic development near Interstate 88 known as Gateway.

“They’re just doing so many wonderful things for Dixon. I thought, ‘gosh, wouldn’t it be really great if on the education side of things we could really do some great things for Dixon Public Schools,’” Huyett said.

So, this time with all the needed degrees and certifications, she applied and was selected for the superintendent role in Dixon.

“I’m excited about it. It’s going to be fun,” Huyett said.