All signs point to the St. Charles Unit District 303 school board naming a new principal in less than two weeks to fill the vacancy at Thompson Middle School.

Stephen Morrill is the decided favorite of a committee of parents, school staff and district administrators to replace the departing Pamela Kibbons.

Kibbons will finish out the school year at Thompson, then leave for a new job at Cooper Middle School in Buffalo Grove.

Morrill is already a familiar face in District 303. He is an assistant principal at Wredling Middle School, where he's served in that role since 2006. Before that, he was a sixth-grade teacher at Wredling for six years. Before coming to the district, Morrill was a teacher for seven years in Sandwich, and a teacher for three years in Steward Elementary District 220 in Steward, Ill. Morrill has degrees from Monmouth College and Northern Illinois University.

Morrill would assume duties as principal at Thompson July 1, pending school board approval at its June 9 meeting.

Morrill's appointment would create a vacancy in the assistant principal position at Wredling. The district has not yet decided how it will fill that slot. The job must first be posted as available, but that can't happen until after Morrill's appointment is finalized.

"I am thrilled about the opportunity to continue my service to the District 303 community as Thompson's new principal," Morrill said in a written statement. "Thompson has a long history of excellence, and I am looking forward to doing my part to continue that tradition."