The McHenry Community High School District 156 board of education on Tuesday approved the appointment of Sean Sterner, who was previously set to become assistant principal for Freshman Campus, to the top job for next year.
He’ll replace Freshman Campus Principal Greg Eiserman, who is moving to Upper Campus to take over for Dr. Jeff Prickett next year. Earlier this year, Sterner was named assistant principal of Freshman Campus, but then Prickett announced he was leaving to take a principal job in Grayslake next year.
District 156 officials will now begin the search for a Freshman Campus assistant principal to replace Terry Fitzgibbons, who is retiring at the end of the 2024-25 school year.
Sterner, who has been a teacher in District 156 since 2008 and, most recently, social science division chair, will now oversee Freshman Campus. Formerly known as East Campus, the ninth-grade building now serves about 550 students with a motto of “Start with Success.”
Sterner said he’s looking forward to continuing the comprehensive programs at Freshman Campus to transition students to high school before they move on to Upper Campus.
Superintendent Ryan McTague credits Sterner, the first designated summer school principal for MCHS, with growing the program to become a third semester, serving about 700 students annually. Summer school offers get-ahead courses as well as credit recovery..
“Sean’s curricular, operational, and overall leadership experience make him the perfect candidate to join the Freshman Campus building leadership team,” said Dr. McTague.
Sterner said he considers Eiserman and Fitzgibbons to be mentors who have created a great culture at Freshman Campus.
“There’s a lot of positivity there. I think everyone feels valued, especially students. I just want to continue that,” Sterner said. “Student learning and student success – that’s what it’s all about.”
Sterner grew up in Arlington Heights and graduated from Rolling Meadows High School. He received a bachelor’s degree in social science education from Illinois State University, a master’s in teacher leadership, and another in principal preparation, both from Concordia College.
Sterner also has an endorsement in English as a Second Language from Concordia. Sterner taught at Waukegan High School for a year before coming to McHenry.
He and his wife have two children and live in Crystal Lake. In addition to teaching, Sterner has been the head girls' golf coach since 2012 and was formerly an assistant baseball coach. He’s also been overseeing the Leadership in Action course for upperclassmen for the last two years.
Social science Instructor John Lunkenheimer will take over as social science division chair next year.