The Downers Grove Grade School District 58 Board of Education unanimously approved the appointment of Mariana Nicasio to the Indian Trail School principal position during a Board meeting on Monday, March 9. Nicasio will begin work in July 2020 and will replace current Indian Trail Principal Robin Bruebach, who retires in June after 16 years of dedicated service to District 58.
“We are happy to recommend Ms. Nicasio to the Indian Trail principal position!” said Superintendent Dr. Kevin Russell. “The interview teams described Ms. Nicasio as a student-centered and dynamic leader with a proven track record. She is bilingual and possesses strong educational leadership experience, especially with special education and English learner programming. We feel very confident that Ms. Nicasio will be an asset to the Indian Trail community!”
Dr. Russell added that District 58 received a significant amount of interest in this position from many highly-qualified candidates. The interview process comprised rounds of team interviews with staff, parents and administrators. The interview teams sought to identify a dynamic principal candidate who best fit the unique needs of the Indian Trail community.
“We asked Indian Trail students, parents and staff to complete a survey identifying the characteristics they most desired in their new principal. We also held a student focus group to hear directly from our students about what they seek in their principal,” Dr. Russell said. “I was very impressed with the thoughtful input our students contributed to this important process during their focus group! We used all of this feedback when selecting a new principal.”
Ms. Nicasio currently serves as the principal of Komensky Elementary School in Berwyn South School District 100. In this role, she has successfully implemented the Bridges math curriculum. District 58 will fully implement the Bridges elementary math curriculum in fall 2020. Previously, she served as an assistant principal in Cicero School District 99 and as a seventh and eighth grade literature studies and social studies teacher in Berwyn South School District 100.
“I am honored and privileged to accept this appointment, and I look forward to serving Indian Trail’s students, staff and families, as well as working with the entire District 58 team,” Nicasio said. “I am excited to contribute to the continued growth of our current and future Indian Trail students!”
Nicasio earned her master of arts in educational administration, her master of arts in teaching, and her bachelor of arts in history, all from Dominican University. She is currently pursuing an educational leadership doctoral degree from National Louis University.