District 308 Hires Three New Administrators

The School Board approved the hiring of three building administrators Monday night.

Principals for and Long Beach Elementary along with an athletic director for were unanimously approved by board members as part of the district personnel report.

Thompson Assistant Principal Shannon Lueders will take over the top spot at the school after the departure of Tracy Murphy, . Lueders came to the district in 2007. She was employed at Jefferson Middle School in Aurora from 1998 to 2007.

“We are please to be able to have Shannon take the next step in her administrative career without leaving her current building,” said outgoing Superintendent Dan O’Donnell. “Shannon is an outstanding young administrator who will be a perfect fit for Thompson.”

Christine Smith will head up Long Beach Elementary School next year. She replaces

Smith worked as a teacher in Minooka and Seneca. She was principal at Coal City Elementary School from 2001-06, and most recently was principal at Holmes Elementary School in Clarendon Hills.

“Christine is a very strong, experienced building principal who comes to Long Beach from a highly-successful tenure as an elementary principal,” O’Donnell said. “Her expertise in improving student achievement for a diverse community of students and families will build nicely on the great foundation built by our Long Beach staff and exiting principal Kevin Lipke."

New OHS Athletic Director Darren Howard comes to the school with a solid record of athletic achievement. Howard has been athletic director at Immaculate Conception High School in Elmhurst since 2003 and served as head boys varsity basketball coach since 2000. He led the team to five straight regional title games, two of which they won.

Howard earned the honor of Division 3 Athletic Director of the year for 1A/2A schools in 2010 and is a member of the ICHS Hall of Fame.

Outgoing OHS AD