Grant High School goes in-house to select Jeremy Schmidt its new principal

Grant High School has a new principal.

Jeremy Schmidt, currently an area administrator for the Fox Lake high school, will take over the job starting July 1, Grant High School District 124 Superintendent Christine Sefcik announced Friday.

In a note sent to parents, Sefcik said, Schmidt now oversees business, fine arts, foreign language, family and consumer science, industrial technology, physical education, health, driver education and the library.

He also serves as the director of student activities and is responsible for the district’s co-curricular programs.

“Mr. Schmidt was selected after a thorough interview process in which several well qualified candidates were considered for the position,” she said in a news release. “Throughout the interviews, Mr. Schmidt stood out as having an incredible work ethic and a great deal of integrity.”

Schmidt holds a bachelor’s degree in education from Central Michigan University, as well as a master’s in educational leadership from Northeastern Illinois University.

Prior to becoming an administrator at Grant, Sefcik said, Schmidt taught English at the high school for six years.

The in-house hiring of Schmidt ends a nearly two-year process to select a new principal.

It started when retired Wauconda Unit District 118 Superintendent John Barbini signed on in a part-time basis to be Grant’s principal.

Barbini was expected to last one year, but has been in place for three years after the hiring of a principal fell through last year. Jim McKay, who was co-superintendent at Antioch-Lakes Area High School District 117, was hired by Sefcik. However, McKay backed out of that arrangement last spring after he was named sole superintendent in District 117.

Sefcik said Schmidt has the respect of the teachers for his professional manner in dealing with students, parents and staff. Schmidt will work with Barbini in the next several months to ensure a smooth transition of leadership, she added.

“With his proven record of hard work and dedication, I am confident he will do an outstanding job in this new role,” Sefcik said.