Naperville North High School is looking to find a new principal ahead of next school year, school officials say.
Former principal Stephanie Posey, who had been at the helm of Naperville North since 2015, retired at the end of last school year. Since her departure, the role has been filled on an interim basis. Now, with the 2025-26 academic year approaching, Naperville North is scouting for candidates to assume the position permanently.
An online job posting for the role went live on Oct. 25 and will be open through Dec. 1.
“Naperville North is an exceptional school and our community is a wonderful community, so we know we’ll be able to garner a great field of applicants,” Lisa Xagas, assistant superintendent of student services for Naperville District 203, said. “I know we’ll be able to select someone who will be able to bring Naperville North to the next level.”
The position’s start date is July 1, 2025, and will be hired for a 260-day contract, according to terms of employment listed online. The starting salary is $165,000 annually or higher depending on work experience, District 203 says.
Officials hope to have Naperville North’s new principal selected over the next few months, ideally by January or February, Xagas said.
While Naperville North transitions leadership, Jay Wachtel — the school’s assistant principal of operations — has been acting as interim principal.
Wachtel stepped in to serve as principal temporarily to give the district adequate time to find a permanent replacement for Posey. Her retirement fell too close to the start of this school year to fit in a full search process before classes began come fall, Xagas said.
“(Stephanie Posey) made the decision to retire at the end of last school year and the timing was such that we really couldn’t engage in a full interview process and be ready to fill the position for this year,” she said.
Instead, the District 203 School Board approved Wachtel to serve in the interlude.
A longtime administrator for the campus, Wachtel joined Naperville North in 2002. Through his 22-year tenure at the school, he’s held several positions. Beyond serving as assistant principal and interim principal, he’s been a business teacher and instructional coordinator for career and technical education.
During the 2020-21 academic year, Wachtel took on the principal role while Posey addressed needs at the district level.
Asked if the district has considered Wachtel staying on as Naperville North’s principal permanently this time around, Xagas said the position is open to internal and external applicants. She added, “We hope internal applicants do apply.”
While the district seeks out candidates, it will also be gathering feedback from students, teachers, parents and others to help “define those characteristics that our (campus) community wants in their next leader,” Xagas said.
“We obviously are looking for someone who’s passionate about education, believes in the power of teamwork, all those things,” she said. “That, coupled with the feedback provided to us by students, staff and parents, will help us pick the next principal.”
Once the position is closed to new applicants in December, the district will begin the first of several rounds of interviews.
There will be opportunities for stakeholders to take part in the interview process, Xagas said.
