Yorkville School District Y115 Superintendent Tim Shimp resigns

YORKVILLE – Yorkville School District 115 Superintendent Tim Shimp has resigned effective May 1.

“This is one of the hardest decisions I’ve had to make,” Shimp told the Yorkville School Board on April 24, moments before board members approved his retirement from the district.

“A career opportunity has been presented to me to do something different,” Shimp told the board, without elaborating.

When asked after the meeting, Shimp said he is taking a job in the private sector. “It’s a different industry but related to education.” He declined to be more specific.

Shimp has served with the school district for 16 years. He started as principal of Yorkville High School for three years, followed by another three as an associate superintendent of teaching and learning before being named to the top administrative role.

The school board praised Shimp for his collegial approach to leadership and team-building, citing the addition of all-day Kindergarten, the opening of the Future Foxes Preschool and the Early Childhood Center as just the most recent examples of his work to move the district forward.

The board named three top administrators as interim co-superintendents to serve at least until the new school board is seated May 8.

They include Associate Superintendent for Human Resources Nick Baughman, Assistant Superintendent for Learning & Instruction Grades 7-12 Ericka Burns and Assistant Superintendent of Learning and Instruction Preschool-6 Kathy Melton.

School Board President Lynn Burks, who did not seek reelection in the April 4 election and is stepping down after 20 years on the board, said the new board will decide how to proceed on hiring a new superintendent, although it is expected that the district will employ a search firm to find candidates.

But before the meeting ended, there was another bombshell, as 28-year school board veteran Robert Brenart announced his resignation from the board. Brenart, an optometrist who has spent much of his life visiting Latin America and Africa to provide eye care to people there, said he plans to do much more traveling. There are two years remaining on Brenart’s unexpired term.

Also departing from the board are Tom Kozlowicz, Ashley Rea Fichtel and Jenny Morgan, all of whom did not seek reelection.