District 300 appoints new Dundee-Crown principal

The Community Unit District 300 school board recently appointed Devon LaRosa as principal of Dundee-Crown High School in Carpentersville.

LaRosa is currently executive principal of Auburn High School in Rockford, where he has worked on issues such as truancy, tardiness to class, low student engagement, and student discipline, according to a district news release.

He will succeed Dundee-Crown Principal Lynn McCarthy, who has served in that role since 2006 and is retiring at the end of this school year. LaRosa's start date has not yet been determined. His salary will be $121,560.

During her tenure, McCarthy established a supportive community committed to academic success and college and career readiness, according to district officials.

“Mr. LaRosa shares many of Ms. McCarthy's core values,” District 300 Superintendent Fred Heid said. “He will work to honor the great practices and culture Ms. McCarthy has developed. I am excited to watch Mr. LaRosa build meaningful relationships with staff, students and the community to ensure Dundee-Crown continues its tradition of excellence while embracing new opportunities to advance academic achievement.”

LaRosa spent two years as vice principal of curriculum and instruction at Jefferson High School in Rockford, three years teaching history at Jefferson High, and a year teaching social science at Northern Illinois University. He also has assumed leadership roles in organizing freshman learning academies, sports eligibility tutoring, preparation for ACT college entrance exam and the Prairie State Achievement Exam, and after-school tutoring.

“Mr. LaRosa has a proven track record of success,” Heid said. “He has an impeccable understanding of Dundee-Crown's needs and has achieved remarkable success with similar demographic settings. With his proven ability to promote student outcomes, I firmly believe that Mr. LaRosa will continue advancing Dundee-Crown High School in the right direction.”

LaRosa has a bachelor's degree in history from Rockford University, and two master's degrees from National Louis University in curriculum and instruction and academic leadership. He participated in the Harvard Graduate School of Education's Leading 21st Century High Schools Institute and is a doctoral candidate at Aurora University.