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Elgin principal considered for McHenry Co. schools post

After a nine-month vacancy and a lengthy search, McHenry County officials say they’ve found their new regional superintendent of schools in an Elgin elementary school.

Jeffrey Schleff, of Island Lake, currently principal at Lords Park Elementary School in Elgin, will by considered for appointment by the county board at its meeting Tuesday morning.

Finance committee chairman Scott Breeden said he believes Schleff’s appointment will be “a smooth process.”

County Administrator Pete Austin and County Board Chairman Ken Koehler “feel very comfortable” with Schleff as a candidate, Breeden said. “That is good enough for me,” he said. “We’re just so darn happy to find somebody with the qualifications and the desire to do it.”

Austin and Koehler could not be reached for comment.

Last month, Koehler said he was consulting with state election officials about a qualified candidate’s residency. Schleff, 56, said he lives in McHenry County, but within the boundaries of Lake County school districts. Koehler told him he determined his residency should not be a problem, Schleff said.

Schleff has been principal of the Elgin school for 5½ years. He previously served as principal for Schaumburg Elementary District 54 and Northbrook School District 27, where he also served as assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction.

He has a master’s degree from Northwestern University and a doctorate from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

The regional superintendent of schools ensures that school districts comply with rules and regulations about things like building safety and teacher certifications, Schleff said.

“The regional superintendent should also be a service and support individual for each of the school districts within the county,” he said. “Every school is both challenged with academic performance and financial strength. There couldn’t be a more important time to reach out to school districts.”

The McHenry County position pays around $104,500, Schleff said. His current position and additional duties in Elgin Area School District U-46 pay about $110,000, he said. “At this point in my career, the quality and urgency of the work override any difference that comes up with salary,” he said.

The McHenry County post has been vacant since June, when Gene Goeglein retired early and Jon Williams, who was elected in November to replace Goeglein, retired before taking over July 1. Candidates had to meet a long list of requirements regarding their education and certifications. They also had to be Republicans, as Williams was.

“Judging from the amount of time we have spent on this not finding somebody, I don’t think anybody on the county board would say a whole lot about why we shouldn’t hire him,” county board member John Jung Jr. said.

The Lake County Regional Office of Education has filled in to help out during the vacancy in McHenry County. In the future, state and county officials should evaluate whether having a regional superintendent of schools is necessary, or whether the position could be consolidated somehow, Jung said.

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