Fremont District 79 names new superintendent

As Fremont School District 79 Superintendent Jill Gildea prepares to depart the Mundelein area for an East Coast post, the school board on Wednesday announced her successor.

William Robertson, now the superintendent of Creston Community Consolidated School District 161 west of DeKalb, will begin at Fremont on July 1. The district's board of education approved his hiring Monday.

Robertson was among 22 applicants and four finalists for the job, officials said.

Fremont board President Jason Bonds called Robertson "an energetic, innovative thinker who is very motivated."

"We believe he'll be a great person to carry the district vision for learning forward," Bonds said in an announcement of the hire.

Robertson said he's thrilled to join District 79, calling it "a learner-centered and future-focused organization."

"I look forward to spending time within the schools and communicating with students, staff, and our Fremont families," Robertson said in the announcement.

Robertson, of Palatine, served on the Palatine-Schaumburg Township High School District 211 board of education between 2011 and 2015, including two years as the board's president. He did not seek re-election in 2015.

Gildea has led the District 79 staff since 2010. She is leaving to become superintendent of Greenwich Public Schools in Connecticut. The Greenwich district announced Gildea's hiring in late March.

Gildea said it's been a joy to watch District 79 students flourish.

"I am honored to have served the students, families, schools and community of Fremont School District 79," Gildea said in a statement posted on the district website. "The next superintendent will be lucky to be a part of this wonderful community."

Gildea earned a $204,454 salary in her final year with the district. Robertson will collect a $175,000 annual salary.