Superintendent

Phone:	630-795-7101
Department:	Superintendent's Office

Dr. Mark McDonald has served as superintendent of Community High School District 99 since July 2008. As superintendent, Mark manages and leads all team members at District 99, including: administration, faculty, administrative support, security, custodial, maintenance and grounds staff. His goal is to provide a high quality education for the 5,300 high school students at North High School and South High School. Before becoming superintendent of District 99, Mark was principal of South High School from 2003 to 2008, earning a reputation for raising student achievement, motivating staff and students, and building community support. His philosophy is that the actions of District 99 should always be driven by the primary mission that students come first. When Mark joined District 99 in 2003, he brought with him 16 years of administrative experience in the West Aurora School District 129, a district that serves 11,000 students. He worked for six years as assistant principal at West Aurora High School, seven years as principal of West Aurora High School, and three years as deputy superintendent of schools. Mark began his education career as a teacher and coach at Mooseheart, a home and school for families and children in severe financial need. There he taught students from grades six through twelve courses in history, geography, mathematics, and business. Mark earned a B.S. in 1979 from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, where he was also an Illini football player and wrestling letterman. In 1985, he earned an M.S. in Administration from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb before returning to the University of Illinois for a Doctorate in Administration, Higher, and Continuing Education in 1992. Mark has two grown sons. Son Andy and daughter in law Stephanie live in Crystal Lake, Illinois; son Tony, a South High graduate and soon to be daughter-in-law Christina reside in Madison, Wisconsin where Tony is pursuing a PhD in Engineering at the University of Wisconsin. “We have superb staff and programs at our schools, which rank among the best of Illinois’ high schools, and our community strongly supports education,” says Mark. “It is a privilege to lead District 99.”