Principal’s resignation is latest administrative shake-up at Hersey High School

John Hersey High School Principal Heath McFaul will resign at the end of the school year and return to Barrington Area Unit District 220 to lead Barbara B. Rose Elementary School.

McFaul’s resignation, approved Thursday night by the Northwest Suburban High School District 214 board, is the latest administrative shake-up at the Arlington Heights high school still grappling with a probe into the school’s wrestling program.

In a letter to families, McFaul wrote that his decision to leave Hersey came after thoughtful consideration and conversations with his family.

“The opportunity to return to a unit school district and lead at the elementary level aligns with my professional goals and personal interests, while also reconnecting me to the elementary foundation that shaped my career,” McFaul wrote.

Under McFaul, Hersey was named a National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education in 2024 for academic performance and closing achievement gaps.

McFaul arrived at Hersey in August 2023 after eight years as an associate principal at Barrington High School. He held various roles at Palatine High School from 2003 to 2015, including assistant principal, dean of students, business education teacher and lacrosse coach. He started his career in education as a fifth grade teacher in Palatine Township Elementary District 15 in 2000.

McFaul’s resignation follows the demotion of three other administrators. Athletic Director Julia Barthel and two deans of students, Jennifer Korakakis and Matthew Norris, were reassigned from administrative to teaching positions, under personnel actions taken by the school board in February.

In January, five wrestling coaches were dismissed after an internal investigation uncovered concerns over student residency, recruiting practices, and in-season training activities outside of school, district officials said.

The boys varsity coach, Joe Rupslauk, resigned from his special education teaching position at the school last month.

District 214 has posted job openings on its website for a new principal, athletic director and dean of students, with starting dates of July 1.