About 3,500 students walked into District 181 classrooms Thursday, Aug. 20, greeted by a leadership team that looks different than the one that closed out last year.

Superintendent Jim Wipke, assistant superintendent for business Adrian Fulgencio, four building administrators, 10 teachers and nine support staff all started fresh this school year. It's the broadest single-year staffing refresh in recent memory for the K-8 district serving Hinsdale, Clarendon Hills and Burr Ridge.

Wipke takes the helm

Wipke, 54, officially took over July 1 after the board voted 7-0 in December 2025 to hire him on a five-year, $270,000-per-year contract with annual raises of 2% to 4% and a $20,000 signing bonus. He replaces Hector Garcia, who led the district from 2018 until his retirement.

The board selected Wipke from a field of 34 applicants. He spent the previous seven years running the Ladue School District outside St. Louis, a district ranked No. 1 in Missouri by Niche.com with more than 4,000 students, according to the Chicago Tribune.

In a back-to-school letter to families published Monday, Aug. 17, Wipke introduced what he calls "The D181 Experience," a framework built on four pillars: innovative instruction, strong relationships, high expectations and a supportive community culture. He urged parents to put devices away and talk to their children before the first day.

"Some of our best conversations happened during car rides to soccer practice or at the dinner table with devices put away," Wipke wrote. "Creating those quiet moments to check in, ask questions, and listen fully made all the difference."

In a statement Wednesday, Aug. 19, Wipke said he is "most looking forward to getting into our school buildings, meeting our students and staff, and continuing to build strong relationships across our incredible D181 community."

Fulgencio returns to D181

Adrian Fulgencio is the new assistant superintendent for business and operations, replacing Mindy Bradford. Fulgencio is a familiar face in the district. He previously worked in D181's building and grounds and finance departments as an accounts payable coordinator and business financial analyst before leaving to serve as chief business official in Peotone Community Unit District 207, The Hinsdalean reported.

His return means the district's top two administrative posts are both occupied by new leaders this fall.

New faces across the buildings

The four new administrators include Kory Kliebert as assistant principal at Hinsdale Middle School, Anna Opacian as pupil service administrator at The Lane and Walker elementary schools, Libby Jansen as pupil service administrator at Clarendon Hills Middle School and Monroe, and Sara Gillmar as pupil service administrator at Prospect.

Ten new teachers span Oak, Monroe, Hinsdale Middle School, Clarendon Hills Middle School and Prospect. The hires include two Spanish teachers at HMS, a Spanish teacher at CHMS, a kindergarten teacher at Oak, and social workers at both HMS and Prospect.

Nine support staff round out the roster, including two school nurses (at Madison and The Lane), two Response to Intervention tutors at The Lane, a senior systems administrator and a help desk technician.

What it means for families

For parents dropping off students Thursday, the turnover raises a practical question: who is running my child's building? The answer varies by school. Three of the four new pupil service administrators serve elementary and middle school students who rely on special education coordination and social-emotional support. Two new social workers and a new psychologist signal the district is investing in student wellness staffing even as leadership turns over.

The district held its annual Opening Day staff celebration Friday, Aug. 14, where Wipke focused remarks on how staff work shapes the student experience. At his first board meeting Tuesday, Aug. 11, he thanked staff for their warm welcome during his transition.