FPS Board Approves New Superintendent Contract

By Gordon HopkinsDespite a brief agenda and other school events going on at the same time, there was a full house at the meeting room when the Fairbury Public Schools Board of Education (BOE) voted unanimously to approve the contract of the district’s new superintendent at a special meeting on Thursday, January 23, 2026.Roger A. Stumpf had been selected as the new superintendent a week earlier at a special meeting Thursday evening, January 15. BOE chair Angie Judd said, “This meeting is merely a formality.” Nevertheless, more than 50 people attended the meeting. Some were there to express their displeasure, not at the hiring of Stumpf but that, in the opinion of some people, the board disregarded the recommendation of the hiring committee. Members of the committee recommended another candidate, Jeremy G. Christiansen, who previously worked for the school district as principal for both Central Elementary and Jefferson Intermediate and was interested in returning to the Fairbury area.The decision created a stir on social meeting. Prior to the meeting BOE Chair Angie Judd told FJN, “I don’t feel the social media posts are objecting to Mr. Stumpf, specifically. The social media posts I’ve seen are indicating upset due to Christiansen not being offered the position.” At the meeting, teacher Amy Engle-Evans, who has been an employee of the school district for 22 years and served on the committee, was one of four people who spoke. “How can we trust someone who doesn’t trust us? You asked for our time and opinions, we gave it to you and you decided that you knew better. It is time that the board wakes up, looks and listens to the people that you say you are here to serve.” Engle-Evans also pointed out that the school has seen an unusually high number of resignations in recent years and she put the blame in large part on low staff morale, “We lost 50 percent of staff at the high school last year.”Agricultural teacher Thomas Dux, who has been with the district 11 years, also spoke. “I was also on the committee,” said Dux. “And I feel like you guys really fumbled on this.”Despite the large number of people attending the meeting, only four signed up to speak. That was pointed out by one of those speakers, Chris Taylor.“I work as a para up at the Chance Program, and I can tell you, in my discussions with lots of staff members, people are afraid. People don’t trust the board. They don’t trust, necessarily, our administrators. People are afraid to speak up,” Taylor said. “As much as people were upset and angry about this decision, four people are willing to stand up and speak to you. To me, that says something.” he fourth speaker was resident Thayne Tatro, who did not object to the selection of Stumpf but did express concern that the board did not listen to the committee, “I didn’t sit in on the interviews I have in the past. And honestly, as some people expressed, I think it’s a waste of time. I don’t think when I was on the community interview process, I don’t think we were listened to. This has been probably 10 years ago. I will never do it again, so don’t bother asking.” “I’m tired of the division,” said Tatro. “We need to come together as a community support whatever decisions made. These are our elected officials, whether they made the decision you wanted or not. That can be changed at the next election.” Stumpf will begin his role as superintendent July 1, 2026.

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