Dist. 202 chief won't pick successor

The Lisle school board is spending $17,500 on a search firm that employs retiring Superintendent Peter Lueck to find his successor.

Unit District 202 board members and search firm leaders say they and Lueck have taken steps to ensure he won't be involved in the search decision or profit from it.

The district recently contracted with School Exec Connect to find its next schools chief. Lueck, 55, has led the district for 11 years and retires after this school year.

He has worked with School Exec Connect since 2002, according to bio information posted on the company's Web site.

"We structure it so the superintendent makes no money, has no decision-making, and has no involvement in any way," said Linda Hanson, president of School Exec Connect. "We put up some pretty good protections. Legally, it isn't a problem. Ethically, it's no problem. (Lueck) will make no money."

Lueck did not return calls for comment.

But board members say he announced he wouldn't participate in the search before the district agreed to hire the company.

"He's always been very up front about this," board member Sam Russo said. "He recused himself from any discussions on that. Any work they do, he will not be involved with."

Hanson said this situation is not as uncommon as one might think.

"A great number of superintendents in the metro area belong to search firms," she said. "It isn't unusual, and I would say it's not infrequent that a board asks search firms to come interview with them and the superintendent may have an affiliation."

Russo said board members plan to look to Lueck for the same guidance he would have provided -- regardless of any connection to the firm.

"He has intimate knowledge of what it takes to do the job," Russo said. "He's done an incredible job, and he's been a great leader. It would be irresponsible or short-changing the community if we didn't ask questions of him."