At their June 13 meeting, the Board of Education approved Alexis Hanson as the new Executive Director of Special Education for Community Unit School District 200 and will begin on July 1. Ms. Hanson will be replacing Mrs. Erica Ekstrom, who will serve as an Assistant Superintendent in another school district.
Ms. Hanson comes to District 200 from St. Charles Community Unit School District 303 where she has served as the Director/Associate Director of Student Services since 2020. Ms. Hanson has spent her entire career in District 303 and has also served as the Assistant Director of Instructional Interventions for one year, Elementary Intervention Coordinator for two years, Instructional Support Coach at Bell Graham Elementary School for one year, and was a Special Education Resource Teacher at Corron Elementary School for 10 years. Ms. Hanson earned a bachelor’s degree in special education from Western Illinois University, and a master’s degree in educational leadership with a director of special education endorsement from Aurora University.
Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services Mrs. Melissa Murphy is excited to have Ms. Hanson join her team. “I want to congratulate Ms. Hanson on her appointment as the next Executive Director of Special Education for CUSD 200,” said Murphy. “Ms. Hanson has spent her entire career in a very comparable district to ours, and her extensive experience and unwavering passion for special education will be a huge asset to the staff and students in our community.”
Ms. Hanson is looking forward to her new role with CUSD 200. “I am thrilled to join CUSD 200 as the new Executive Director of Special Education,” said Hanson. “This new opportunity represents an exciting next chapter in my special education career, which spans almost two decades. I am eager to collaborate with the dedicated staff, families, and community to support and enhance the educational experiences of each and every one of our students. I look forward to ensuring that every student has the opportunity to thrive in an inclusive and supportive environment.”
In the coming months, Ms. Hanson will invite staff and community members to a series of Listen and Learn sessions to gain a deeper understanding of our programs and student needs. We will communicate the dates and times for these engagement sessions soon.