Wheaton Named New Principal of Sandburg High

Julia Wheaton, who now serves as associate principal of , was selected as the new principal during the Consolidated High School District 230 special meeting Monday night.

She is scheduled to replace retiring Principal Debbie Boniface on July 1.

"I hope to bring continued dedication," Wheaton told Patch after Monday's unanimous school board vote. "We're going to continue our school improvement on behalf of Carl Sandburg students and continue to strive for excellence."

Wheaton has served as associate principal at Sandburg since 2009. Prior to that, she was principal of , Director of Student Services for Mokena District 159 and served as an administrator and psychologist for the Lincoln-Way Area Special Education Joint Agreement District 843.

The business of officially approving Wheaton took about 15 minutes.

"She's been in the high school now for a couple of years and she was principal of the junior high for a while," said Board President Frank Grabowski. "So she knows what it takes. And she knows the first year (of high school) is probably the most important year for students and I believe she'll be able to ensure that students take it seriously in the beginning."

Grabowski declined to comment on how many candidates applied for the post. He said he is looking forward to a smooth transition, a sentiment echoed by Boniface.

Boniface said she doesn't see a whole lot of transitional challenges for Wheaton, because Wheaton has been actively involved in the school since she arrived two years ago.

"I think the staff will look forward to working with her," Boniface added. "She's somebody they know. They know her skills and her abilities and they know her drive.

"I couldn't be more happy for her," she continued. "She's an exemplary person. Her drive and her enthusiasm and her focus on what's good for kids is intense and that's what anybody would want for a principal in a school."