Administrator to leave District 220
The Barrington Area Unit School District 220 board bade farewell to administrator Jeff Arnett Tuesday night, who is leaving the district at the end of the month for a job in Austin, Texas.
Board President Brian Battle said the district has been quite blessed to have had Arnett for the last nine years. Battle said Arnett, who started in the district in the fall of 2007 as its first chief communications officer, did a lot to bring the Barrington-area community together.
"You have been able to craft a communication plan that has certainly been recognized statewide and across the country for its excellence," Battle said. "I hope you know this, you've contributed significantly to the community."
Morgan Delack, who succeeded Arnett as the district's chief spokesperson after he was promoted to assistant superintendent for innovation and outreach in 2014, said Arnett is a talented leader.
"Jeff has guided this district through many successes and challenges," Delack said. "His impact on the Barrington 220 community and those who worked closely with him is immeasurable."
Board Vice President Penny Kazmier said the contributions Arnett has made to the district are too many to list.
"I remember what it was like before you got here," Kazmier said. "No matter what you have a hand in, you do it with integrity."
Arnett, not one to seek recognition for his accomplishments, deferred the credit to his colleagues and the community.
"It's been a great place," Arnett said after the meeting. "Anything that's been accomplished has only been because of the great people in the district."
Arnett will begin work at the Eanes Independent School District in a suburb of Austin, Texas, in the fall as deputy superintendent.
"I asked if I got a gun and a badge, and they said no," joked Arnett after the meeting.
Arnett will be reunited with former Barrington 220 Superintendent Tom Leonard, who started a job as Eane's top administrator in the fall of 2014.
When Arnett was promoted to an assistant superintendent position in Barrington before Leonard left in 2014, Leonard gave Arnett high praise.
"Jeff is a unique individual with a lot of talents," Leonard told the Daily Herald in May 2014. "I strongly believe by moving him to the position of assistant superintendent for innovation and outreach that he will be able to utilize some of his great talents in a broader way in the district."
Naree Paik, a representative from the PTO President's Council, gave Arnett a gift of a horse figurine as a little reminder of Barrington. Paik said Arnett was a quiet force shaping the district who always kept his focus on the student's educational needs.
"You will be greatly missed," Paik said.