A little more than 90 days ago, Mike Lach officially took the helm as superintendent of Hinsdale High School District 86.
His arrival was a long time coming. After former Superintendent Tammy Prentiss was put on paid administrative leave in 2023, the district was left without a full-time leader. Other members of the administrative team did their best until interim superintendents could be found. None of these situations was ideal.
When Lach was first hired and in his early appearances as superintendent, he said the right things. More importantly — based on what we’ve seen over the past three months — he’s following through.
One of the most noticeable changes is that the superintendent’s report at the board meetings is an actual report. At the end of her active duty, Prentiss hardly spoke at board meetings. The interim superintendents discussed only the most mundane topics. Lach — in addition to sharing good news — also talks about actual issues.
At the last two meetings, he’s addressed, among other topics, instruction, repairs to the Hinsdale Central pool, social media threats and his desire for all district stakeholders to work as a team.
“People are working hard to do the right thing,” he said at the meeting. “They’re good at what they do. We’re going to keep getting better.”
He most likely will offer a similarly substantial report at tonight’s meeting. We believe the leadership and voice of the superintendent are an important part of board meetings, and we’re pleased to see Lach does, too.
Is everything perfect in District 86? Of course not. Staunch critics regularly attend meetings to decry board governance, curriculum decisions, legal fees, course offerings, Freedom of Information Act practices and more. We’re not suggesting that these topics are not important or that the board doesn’t make mistakes.
But sometimes, listening to public comment, you can get the impression that this is a district plagued with problems, instead of a high-performing district whose achievements are constantly being recognized in multiple ways.
While 90 days is the standard point at which most new employees are evaluated, it seems like an insufficient time to really determine the potential — and the shortcomings — of a new hire. Even with Lach’s experience as an assistant superintendent, his handling of the complicated role he now inhabits might require a full year to evaluate as Lach himself discerns opportunities for growth. That means it might be the 2025-26 school year before we really see what he’s capable of.
We’re looking forward to watching him — and the district — get better and better.
