Dear Franklin Families,
We are thrilled to announce that Bob Guercio has been selected as the next Principal at Franklin Elementary School, pending Board approval on Thursday. He will start on July 1, 2026.
Guercio, originally from Park Ridge, returns to his hometown to lead a school that has recently achieved success with both students and staff.
“I’m so excited to bring my love for education back to the community I was raised in. I look forward to connecting with the Franklin staff and meeting all of the wonderful people who contribute to such an amazing school community,” said Guercio.
For the past six years, Guercio has been the principal at Norman Bridge School in Chicago, where he supervised two campuses with more than 1,100 students. He has led work in instructional improvement, social-emotional learning, research-based curriculum adoption, and standards-based grading. He also implemented best practices across the two campuses, fostering staff and student ownership of culture-building, leading to a school-wide increase in effective restorative practices.
Prior to working at Bridge, Guercio served as an Assistant Principal for two years, and his teaching career began as an elementary literacy and technology teacher. His first year teaching was in 1st grade. He holds degrees from DePaul and Concordia University.
Guercio is taking over for Dr. Williams, who was principal at Franklin for six years, and is leaving at the end of the school year to become the Assistant Superintendent of Teaching, Learning, and Accountability for the Glen Ellyn School District 41. She has been a fantastic leader and we wish her all the best in her new position.
Sincerely,
Dr. Ben Collins
Superintendent