Joliet Public Schools District 86 has announced that Superintendent Dr. Theresa Rouse has elected not to extend her contract with the district when it expires in June 2027.

“The Board is grateful to Dr. Rouse for the direction and initiatives that she has provided for the district to date, including increasing student achievement, providing leadership for the construction of two new junior high schools and fostering a climate of inclusion,” the district said in a statement released Thursday.

The board also expressed appreciation for the advanced notice, so the process of finding a successor for the 2027-2028 school year can begin.

Rouse has served as the district’s superintendent since the summer of 2016, after spending most of her career in California schools.

The district statement emphasized that the decision not to seek renewal of the contract was Rouse’s and that “she continues to have the support of the Board in her efforts to advance best interests of the district, its students and stakeholders.

“The Board looks forward to continuing this collaborative relationship throughout the remainder of her term,” the statement said.

Rouse said leaving the district after 11 years will be “bittersweet.”

“I am proud of all the incredible work our highly qualified staff, amazing students, and supportive families have accomplished together over the past 10 years during my tenure as superintendent,” Rouse said in a statement to the Herald-News.

“While we have achieved much through hard work and dedication, there is still important work ahead over the next two years, including the opening of the new Gompers and Hufford Junior High Schools,” her statement said. “But I look forward to my next adventure.”

In addition to spearheading the rebuilding of the two junior high schools, Rouse has become a strong advocate for District 86 students facing fears of deportation.

“I can tell you right now, to every resident in this community, they will not come in my schools. Period,” Rouse said of Immigration and Customs Enforcement at an event with Congresswoman Lauren Underwood in August. “They have no business harassing my students.”

Joliet’s public schools have a high percentage of Spanish-speaking students and students from immigrant families, many of whom have expressed concerns about deportation or being separated from loved ones as ICE increased its activity across the country this year. Rouse said this has led to “concerns” about students missing school.

In addition to the immigration concerns, Rouse has had to address a number of shifting policy and funding concerns from the U.S. Department of Education in the past nine months. Some of those changes included freezes or cuts to funding of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives and programs for LGBT students, as well as general cuts to the department itself.

“You know, we can’t predict what will come from any government agency day to day,” Rouse said in an interview with the Herald-News this past spring. “But what we’re confirmed and set on is our beliefs about what every child and every staff member in this district needs and making certain that that is what we focus on. We pay attention to the noise, but we can’t let the noise run our lives and run our district.”

In the same interview, Rouse affirmed her commitment to following the State of Illinois’ regulations, even if they were in conflict with changing federal policies.

“Education is a state’s rights issue,” she said, while addressing Illinois’ policies on racial and LGBT inclusion. “So, for education, we first look to the state and then to the federal government. The state is our gatekeeper when it comes to policy.”