'Moyer Must Go,' D-205 Parents Chant

ELMHURST, IL — Elmhurst parents gathered outside the school district's central office and spread a simple message — reopen schools every day, all day, all grades.

And they had another message — District 205 Superintendent Dave Moyer should leave sooner than his planned exit this summer. He is taking a job as a superintendent in Upstate New York.

About 100 students and parents protested outside the central office as the school board prepared to start its meeting. Organizers of the Reopen D205 rally blasted music, then spoke to the crowd. Even mayoral candidate Scott Levin gave a speech.

Many held preprinted signs reading, "Reopen All Grades Every Day." One man hoisted a handwritten "Moyer Sucks" sign.

Participants were particularly incensed with an email that Moyer sent late last week saying the district was preparing full in-person learning starting in the fall. On Monday, the district appeared to reverse itself, saying the board would vote Tuesday on a full in-person plan to start April 12.

Rally organizer Michael Booth referred to Moyer as the "lame-duck" superintendent. He said the board made a mistake giving Moyer "unilateral" authority over the reopening.

"I believe that executive authority was flexed last week when he said he would not reopen this spring," Booth said.

With the community's pressure, he said, the board was finally standing up to the superintendent it hired.

"They told him we're going to put something else to a vote, and we're going to do what's right for our kids. The science doesn't lie. The numbers don't lie," Booth said.

The crowd chanted, "Moyer must go!"

Another organizer, Becca Harpster, criticized the district's surveys on in-person learning.

"I wonder how much our district paid to find out — shocker — that parents want their kids in school," she said. "Same results every survey. How many surveys do we have to complete with the same results before we get our kids back to school full time?"

She said Moyer's email last week fired up everyone.

"It's time to say bye-bye to Dr. Moyer," she said. "He is completely unprepared to lead the district into a full reopening that the board asked him to prepare tonight."

The details of Moyer's reopening plan were not made available to the public before Tuesday's meeting. The administration typically keeps the details secret until they are presented to the board.