Mundelein High officials meeting with candidates

Mundelein High School board members will meet privately with two more superintendent candidates this week.

The first session is set for 6 p.m. today at Dover Straits restaurant, 837 S. Lake St., Mundelein. The second meeting is set for 6 p.m. Thursday at Docks Bar & Grill, 313 E. Liberty St., Wauconda.

Although both sessions will be held in restaurants, the board has opted to close the talks to the public, as it can do under state law.

A similar dinner meeting was held Monday night at Docks Grill.

Restaurants were chosen for the interviews because officials wanted to get to know the candidates in casual situations as well as traditional interview settings, officials said. The district will pay for the meals.

The board will hold another private meeting Saturday to select which of the three finalists for the position should be offered the job. That meeting is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. in the superintendent's conference room at the school, 1350 W. Hawley St.

All three of the finalists are from Illinois, and two are from the Chicago suburbs, officials have said. More than 50 people applied for the job.

The district has operated with two interim superintendents -- John Barbini and Linda Hanson -- since 2006. They replaced Stan Fields, who quit to take a job in another district.

Hanson's and Barbini's contracts expire in June 2008.

The board wants the new administrator aboard for the 2008-09 school year. It could vote on a contract Dec. 11.