Cary District 26 Superintendent Brandon White leaving for Harvard District 50

Cary School District 26 Superintendent Brandon White will leave at the end of the school year to become superintendent for Harvard School District 50, according to a District 26 news release.

White has served District 26 for two years and had one more year left in his original three-year contract. He will start his new position in Harvard on July 1, according to a District 50 news release.

District 50 serves five schools ranging from elementary to high school. The decision to hire White was finalized by the District 50 board in a unanimous vote Thursday. The board conducted a confidential superintendent search and interviewed six finalists from a pool of 53 candidates, according to the District 50 release.

“I am truly humbled and honored to be selected to support the incredible students and educators of Harvard District 50,” White said in the District 50 release. “I’m excited about the possibilities the future holds and look forward to becoming an active part of the greater Harvard community.”

District 50’s current superintendent, Corey Tafoya, who has been with Harvard since 2017, will be moving on to Mundelein School Districts 75 and 120, according to a Mundelein School District 120 news release.

“This is such an amazing alignment,” Tafoya said in the District 120 news release. “It had to be a good match for me. Mundelein’s programs, like dual language and AVID, along with the building improvements and a real sense of community all really resonate with me.”

In his two years at Cary, White has been a part of multiple significant district initiatives, including the passing of the $20 million capital improvement referendum and finding a resolution in the yearslong dispute with the village over the Maplewood property.

“Serving the students, families, staff and greater Cary community has been an extraordinary privilege,” White said in the District 26 release. “I am deeply proud of what we have accomplished together, and I am profoundly grateful for the relationships and memories that will stay with me always. While I look forward to the opportunities ahead, I will forever carry a piece of D-26 with me. This shift was unexpected for both the board and me, but my decision was ultimately made by determining what is best for my family at this time.”

The District 26 board has started the search for an interim superintendent for the 2025-26 school year. District staff said in the release that they have “complete confidence in our assistant superintendents, educators and staff as they continue their vital work in advancing the district’s mission and implementing the instructional framework.”