New superintendent starting earlier in Villa Park District 45

Brian Graber was supposed to take over in July 2025

Villa Park District 45 has moved up the start date of its new superintendent.

Brian Graber was supposed to take over in July 2025. But Monday, the board made Graber superintendent effective immediately.

The board made former superintendent, Anthony Palmisano, an assistant superintendent.

District officials did not say why the change was made, or provide copies of the contracts and contract amendments for Graber and Palmisano.

Tom Jackson, the district’s director of communications and community engagement, said the Daily Herald’s request for contracts would be treated as a Freedom of Information Act request. The district has five business days to fulfill the request.

Jackson said Palmisano has been on leave since last fall and the other administrators handled his duties, with Palmisano helping remotely as requested. Neither Jackson nor the school board president answered what kind of leave Palmisano is on.

According to minutes and recordings of school board meetings, Palmisano has not attended a board meeting since Oct. 16, 2023.

The district announced Palmisano’s retirement in January 2023 and its appointment of Graber as the next superintendent. Graber was the assistant superintendent of human resources. Palmisano was to step down in October 2025.

The board said, in the announcement it posted earlier this week, that it and Palmisano “mutually agreed to amend the Superintendent’s retirement employment contract.”

The district is seeking a new assistant superintendent for human resources, to start July 1.

Graber began working for the district in 2019.

Palmisano has been superintendent since 2013.