Huntley Community School District 158 superintendent to resign in January to take new job

HUNTLEY – Huntley Community School District 158 Superintendent John Burkey is resigning from his position to take a new job.

Burkey will resign effective Jan. 31, 2018, and begin a position as executive director of the Large Unit District Association, according to a news release from the district.

Before he leaves, the Board of Education will name an interim superintendent for the remainder of the 2017-18 school year. The board will begin identifying a full-time superintendent for the 2018-19 school year and beyond.

“Huntley 158 is a special place,” Burkey said in a statement. “There are so many talented, caring people that work for H158, and it has been the highest honor to work alongside the employees of this district. I look forward to continue serving students in Illinois, only now on a larger scale.”

Burkey will work for the Springfield-based Large Unit District Association, which supports the 53 largest unit school districts in Illinois with networking, professional development and advocacy.

“We thank Dr. Burkey for his 12 years of devoted service to the Huntley community,” Don Drzal, president of the Huntley 158 Board of Education, said in the release. “We are saddened to be losing the visionary leadership of Dr. Burkey for our district but are excited that students throughout the state of Illinois will now benefit from his abilities.”

Burke began as the District 158 superintendent in 2006. Since then, enrollment has grown from fewer than 7,000 to nearly 10,000, numerous construction and renovation projects were completed and the district implemented Illinois' largest 1:1 program initiative, according to the release.

The district has also created Huntley High School’s nationally recognized blended learning and specialized academy programs, saw record-high standardized test scores and maintains one of the lowest operating-cost-per-student rates in the Chicago area, according to the release.

The District 158 Board of Education approved a new contract for Burkey in 2016 that ran through the 2021 school year.

The contract paid Burkey $215,000 for the 2016-17 school year with a 2.5 percent pay increase in each subsequent year of the contract, according to previous Northwest Herald reporting.