District 26 selects new superintendent

The River Trails Elementary District 26 board on Tuesday chose Jodi Megerle as the district's next superintendent.

Megerle's three-year contract will begin on July 1. She will replace Nancy Wagner, who is stepping down.

"I am overjoyed and honored for the opportunity to be the district's next superintendent," Megerle said in a district news release. "River Trails is a special place, and I look forward to working closely with our dedicated staff, passionate families and diverse community for years to come."

Megerle has been River Trails' superintendent of student services since 2019. For five years before that, she served as Elk Grove Elementary District 59's principal at Friendship Junior School in Des Plaines.

She also has worked as an assistant principal and principal in Barrington Area Unit District 220 and Round Lake Area Unit District 116. She began her career as a special-education teacher.

Megerle has a doctorate, a master's degree and an educational specialist degree from Northern Illinois University. She earned her bachelor's degree from Arizona State University.

Megerle was chosen from a field of 30, the news release said.

"This was a thorough process that included involvement from multiple stakeholders and resulted in several impressive candidates," said board President William Grimpe. "In the end, we are confident that Dr. Megerle's experience and knowledge of River Trails make her uniquely qualified to lead the district into the future."