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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                        Contact: Tara Burghart

Jan. 13, 2026                                                                                                            Phone: 847-888-5000, ext. 5300

School District U-46 Announces Two New Administrator Appointments

Director of Grants and Larkin High School Principal

ELGIN - On Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, the U-46 Board of Education appointed two candidates to leadership roles within the district, effective for the 2026-27 school year. 

The new principal of Larkin High School, Jason Misicka, has been serving in the same role on an interim basis for this school year. Prior to his interim principal role, he served for six years as Larkin’s assistant principal of culture and climate and two years as its freshman dean of students. 

The new director of grants, Angela Marler Conner, brings more than 10 years of leadership in educational finance and nearly 35 years of experience in education. She will be based in the Financial Services Department.

For more biographical details, see below.  

Jason Misicka - Principal of Larkin High School

Jason Misicka will formally become Larkin’s principal for the 2026-27 school year. As Larkin’s interim principal, Misicka has demonstrated his commitment and dedication to the Royals, building strong relationships with students, employees, parents, and the broader Larkin community.  

Misicka has more than 20 years of experience in education at the secondary level and is known for the compassionate and positive manner in which he approaches challenges to ensure everyone in the school community feels safe, valued, and respected. Prior to his interim principal role, he served for six years as Larkin’s assistant principal of culture and climate and two years as its freshman dean of students. 

As an educational leader, Misicka is intent on building a professional learning community that supports students academically and emotionally, increases teacher capacity, supports high academic achievement, and is welcoming to all community stakeholders. He has strong planning and instructional skills, a collaborative leadership style, and a strong base of knowledge in restorative practices and trauma informed care. 

Between 2004-2010 and 2013-2017, Misicka worked at Kenyon Woods Middle School in roles that included MTSS lead and teaching U.S. history, social studies, and special education reading. From 2010-2013, he was a cross-categorical teacher at South Elgin High School, teaching reading strategies as well as U.S. history.

Misicka holds a bachelor’s degree in history education from Illinois State University, a master’s degree in special education from National-Louis University, and a master’s degree in educational leadership principal preparation from Concordia University Chicago. 

Angela Marler Conner - Director of Grants 

Angela Marler Conner has extensive experience in the development, implementation, and monitoring of successful federal grant programs, with more than 10 years of leadership in educational finance and nearly 35 years in education.

For the last two years, Conner was the director of federal/state programs for Community Unit School District 300, where she managed budgets and monitored educational programming of federal and state funded programs.

From 2018 to 2023, Conner served as the director of federal/state programs for Gilbert Public School District in Arizona.

Conner was an ESEA education program specialist from 2015 to 2018 at the Arizona Department of Education, where she was responsible for providing school districts with guidance and support related to budgeting and educational program proposals for federal grants. Prior to that, Conner served as an elementary school teacher, beginning in 1991, at schools in Illinois and Arizona. 

Conner holds a bachelor's degree in elementary education from Northern Illinois University, and a master’s degree in education from Northern Arizona University.

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School District U-46 serves families in 11 communities: Bartlett, Elgin, Hanover Park, South Elgin, Streamwood and Wayne, as well as portions of Carol Stream, Hoffman Estates, St. Charles, Schaumburg, and West Chicago. In total, the District encompasses 90 square miles within the Fox River Valley, approximately 45 minutes northwest of downtown Chicago, and includes communities within Cook, DuPage and Kane counties. Thirty-three thousand preschoolers through twelfth graders attend the 56 District schools and programs. To learn more, visit the U-46 website, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn.