District 300 to hire internal pick for top job

Someone who works for Community Unit District 300 has what it takes to lead the state's sixth-largest school district.

District 300 board members said Wednesday they had reached unanimous consensus on hiring an internal candidate to replace Ken Arndt when he retires at the end of the 2010-11 school year.

Officials would not say who had been picked, but board members will formally confirm the candidate and approve a five-year contract in a public meeting Thursday night.

Out of a pool of nine District 300 employees who have the credentials to replace Arndt, all but three explicitly denied last week that they were candidates for the district's top post. They were Associate Superintendent David Scarpino; Chief Financial Officer Cheryl Crates; and Jacobs High School Principal Michael Bregy.

All three declined to comment last week, and none returned calls seeking comment on Wednesday. Board member Monica Clark confirmed Wednesday that three internal candidates were interviewed.

The person chosen to replace Arndt was so impressive, board members said, they called off second-round interviews with other candidates.

"We all had a very, very similar reaction," Stevens said. "The consensus was definitely unanimous."

Stevens said the district has conducted a thorough background check of the next superintendent, validated the person's credentials and signed an employment agreement that requires only the board's approval Thursday.

"We wanted to make sure we had all of those i's dotted and t's crossed," he said. "All of those conditions have been met."

Clark said that for some board members it was important to select an internal candidate, provided that person was qualified.

"We want people to understand that if there are people that are qualified we're not always going to go outside," she said.