D86 Superintendent Sidelined Early

Hinsdale Township High School District 86 approved a separation agreement for Superintendent Michael Lach at a May 28 board meeting, moving the outgoing schools chief onto paid leave before the end of his contract term. Lach had already announced in August 2025 that he would retire effective June 30, 2026, after two years of a three-year contract. District 86 has not posted a public announcement about the leave on its main news page, which still says incoming superintendent Chip Pettit will join the district on July 1, 2026. ### What did the board approve on May 28? The May 28 action, as described in Patch’s report, put Lach on leave under a new agreement approved by the board. Patch reported the district had not publicly disclosed the agreement before the meeting and said the pact would keep Lach employed through June 30. Michael Lach has been District 86’s superintendent since July 2024. (patch.com) His 2024 employment contract runs through June 30, 2027, but Lach told the board in an Aug. 7, 2025 letter that he planned to retire on June 30, 2026. ### How long had Lach’s role already been narrowing? Patch reported on March 16 that Lach had stopped attending board committee meetings in October 2025 and had become largely absent from public discussion at regular meetings, even while continuing to collect a $264,000 salary. (patch.com) At a March board meeting, Patch said, officials referred repeatedly to Pettit while not referring to Lach. (resources.finalsite.net) A Feb. 6 email from board President Catherine Greenspon, reported by Patch on April 14, said Lach would work remotely four days a week, be in the office only on Thursdays and no longer participate with the district’s cabinet, academic cabinet or operations cabinet. Greenspon said in that message that Pettit “will be incorporated as appropriate,” according to Patch. (patch.com) ### Who is Chip Pettit, and when was he supposed to start? District 86 announced on Feb. 12 that Jack “Chip” Pettit had been approved as the next superintendent and “will be joining the District 86 team on July 1, 2026.” Pettit came to District 86 from the Duneland School Corporation in Chesterton, Indiana, where local reports said he had served as superintendent since 2019. (patch.com) Patch reported in late May that Pettit had informed others he would start work the following week, earlier than the July 1 date the district had published. The board had not publicly acknowledged that earlier start, Patch said. ### Did the board already give Pettit an early role? Patch reported in March that the board amended Pettit’s contract days after hiring him so that, with Greenspon’s approval, he could work before July 1 at a daily rate of $1,267. (hinsdale86.org) Patch also reported that board members had begun directing administrators other than Lach to work with Pettit on staffing and artificial-intelligence planning. (patch.com) Pettit’s published superintendent contract covers July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2029, according to district documents indexed online. District 86’s website continues to list Lach as superintendent on its department page. ### What has the district said publicly? (patch.com) District 86’s website has not posted a news release about Lach’s leave on its news page or homepage excerpts available online. The district’s public-facing announcements still include Pettit’s February appointment and say he will join the district on July 1. The district calendar lists a Finance and Facilities Committee meeting for June 8 and an A&O Committee meeting for June 9. (hinsdale86.community.diligentoneplatform.com) Those meetings are the next scheduled public events shown on the district website as of June 1. (hinsdale86.org) (hinsdale86.org)