SD117 names Droba as new superintendent

North Palos School District 117 has announced that Christine Droba will become the next North Palos School District 117 Superintendent of Schools beginning July 1, 2024.

The Board of Education selected Droba to fill this position following Dr. Jeannie Stachowiak’s retirement at the end of the 2023-2024 school year.

Stachowiak will be retiring after 21 years in the district; 13 as superintendent.

“I cannot think of anyone better suited to take over as superintendent,” Stachowiak said. “Christine is smart, passionate, and driven. She focuses on the right things and creates and maintains collaborative relationships with students, staff, parents, and our learning community. Under her leadership, NPD117 will continue to provide our students with outstanding learning experiences. I will miss NPD117 so much, but I feel great about who will be leading the district in my place.”

After graduating as valedictorian of Mother McAuley High School, Droba headed to Nashville to study elementary education at Vanderbilt University. Shortly after graduating, she was hired as a classroom teacher in North Palos School District 117, and then as the Fast Track (Honors) Math teacher, where her students were highly successful.

Behind-the-scenes, Droba helped to improve and refine the math curriculum. When the Curriculum Team Leader position became available, she was the natural choice to join that team. As Team Leader, she worked closely with the building and district leadership teams, the Oak Ridge staff, and the Team Leaders from the other four schools. Her strong leadership ability and content knowledge earned her the position of Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning in 2019. Under her leadership, the district won its fourth National Blue Ribbon and continues to perform in the top 10% of school districts in the state.

Droba is completing her doctorate in educational leadership from University of St. Francis. She also received a master’s degree in educational leadership from Concordia University, and a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from Olivet Nazarene University.

“I am honored to have been selected for this role,” Droba said. “District 117 is a special place because the Board of Education promotes high expectations, staff members work hard to ensure that students are successful, and families are highly supportive. I could not be more excited to work with the Board of Education, staff, families, and community to ensure that North Palos continues to provide a high-quality education to all of our students.”

Dr. Tom Kostes, school board president, said, “During her interview, we knew Christine was the right person for the job. She knows the district and has great relationships with the staff, parents, and the Board. All of her skills, especially her strong communication skills, are excellent which is very important to our Board.”