Ed Condon, the superintendent of River Forest School District 90, will be retiring at the end of the 2025-26 school year.
Condon made his formal announcement of his retirement at the Dec. 17 meeting of the District 90 Board of Education.
“It’ll be some 35 or so years (in education) and there’s a time and space for some new leadership in the district at that time and for me to maybe focus on some other projects and opportunities that might be of interest,” Condon said afterward.
Condon was hired as superintendent of River Forest District 90 in 2011 after serving for eight years as the principal of Butler Junior High School in Oak Brook. Condon, who grew up in Hinsdale, began his career in education as a high school social studies teacher in Chesapeake, Virginia after graduating with a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Richmond.
Condon said that he is proud of a number of achievements in his time at District 90, pointing to facilities improvements, curriculum changes, the implementation of full day kindergarten last year, and new security and safety protocols and procedures.
“We’ve had very significant curriculum review and adoption,” Condon said. “We’ve worked hard to prioritize teaching and learning in all of our decisions.”
Condon said he is most proud of the quality of the teachers and administrators in District 90.
He also is proud that District 90 has not had a tax increase referendum since 2006.
“I’m grateful to be part of a responsible school district and Board of Education and leadership team that really understands the importance of minding the store on the taxpayers’ dollars,” Condon said.
Last year, all three schools in District 90 received the state’s highest rating — exemplary — indicating they ranked in the top 10% of Illinois public schools according to metrics on the state’s school report card.
Martha Ryan-Toye, the superintendent of Riverside Elementary School District 96, worked with Condon for five years while she was director of Student Services at District 90 and also knows him as a fellow superintendent. Ryan-Toye described Condon as very kind, very smart and dedicated.
“I think he was a very steady hand at the time when River Forest needed that,” Ryan-Toye said. “I think he very effectively engaged the community, worked well with staff.”
Condon, 55, will serve out his current five year contract and retire on June 20, 2026. He said that he has much to do before then.
“Looking ahead, my focus will remain on supporting excellent teaching in learning across our schools,” Condon said. “A few specific initiatives that I’ll be stewarding include supporting our recently-developed school improvement process, the successful deployment of the new English Language Arts curriculum, and implementation of our Equity Action Plan. I remain deeply grateful to work alongside the finest faculty, staff, and administrative team to be found anywhere, and in service of the extraordinary students and families of River Forest.”
Bob Skolnik is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
